Daria of the Drow
by Janarky
Summary: A D&D story focusing on drow and Planescape, using characters inspired from Daria. It may be whimsical, but it's not light reading.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's notes:** The main person that inspired me to make The Call of Quinnthulhu (coming soon) also inspired this fic. When the topic of Dungeons & Dragons came up, he said that he saw Daria as a drow and Jane as an alu-fiend (the daughter of a succubus and mortal). That's not how I saw it (I saw Daria as a benign if creepy necromancer and Jane as a half elven magical artisan), but the sheer oddness of the thought teased my mind until I made the fic before you.

If you're unfamiliar with D&D, then I hope I've made this understandable enough for you. But if you find anything confusing, you should be able to find out more about the setting by googling it. There's more than one site for Planescape (the campaign setting for most of this fic, after Daria--as Dariaza the drow--leaves the drow city of Menzoberranzan behind), and even wikipedia sums up the basics of it (and of Menzoberranzan) if you wish to learn more. There are also many novels featuring Menzoberranzan and its drow (I especially recommend _Daughter of the Drow_ if you like Dariaza as a drow wizard, though you'll find the female drow wizard in that book to be closer to Jana in temperament), as well as for Planescape (though I prefer the Forgotten Realm novels that enter Planescape territory, such as _Finder's Bane_ and _Tymora's Luck_).

For those more familiar with D&D, I use 3.5 as much as I can, but I don't have many of the materials for that. I adapted a mini-adventure from the 2nd edition Planes of Chaos box set for Dariaza when she's lost, alone, and fighting madness in Pandemonium. (I also used the 2.0 PoC box set for the madness Dariaza endures while there.) If you ever had that you'll probably find what I did with it interesting. It also takes place after the Faction War, but I presume that "bleakniks" can still be found in their old haunts, even in Sigil.

If you somehow come across this because you're a D&D fan but aren't familiar with Daria...well about all I can say is if something comes up about a character that you're having a hard time following, it's probably something that only a Daria fan could understand (eg, Jana--ie, Jane Lane as an alu-fiend--visiting her family in Azzagrat of the Abyss uses characters and dialog based on the Daria ep "The Teachings of Don Jake").

Finally, I got the adjuration from the Crimson Liturgy for Lolth that precedes the actual story from an article on drow society found in Dragon magazine, issue 298, August 2002. For those interested, the many trials and tests that Dariaza describes growing up with are described in detail in that article, too. 

There are more Author's Notes at the end.

**DARIA OF THE DROW**

_O Flesh Carver, who wove the world;   
Who made us from the darkest clay,  
Spinning in it a red web of vein and artery,  
We feel thy hunger._

__

O Lolth, humbly today we feed thee.  
We feed you this flesh, this quivering meat.  
With a blade like your jaws,  
We divide muscle from bone.  
Eat of this, the meal we consecrate to thee,  
And do not this day devour us.

--adjuration from the Crimson Liturgy of Lolth

I.

Quinthel and Sandisma looked greedily at the seasonal fungi now before them in an open cloth sack. Moments before, it had been black lotus extract, but was now a harmless seasoning. The spell Dariaza had just cast would keep it that way for the next several minutes. Until it transformed back, no spell or test would reveal any poison. There was a slight aura of transmutation about it, if one examined it magically, but that was easily explained as a cantrip used to add flavoring.

When the spell wore off, it would be the deadly substance it normally was. Woe unto the one who had ingested it, or even just touched it! Quinthel and Sandisma looked to each other with fierce grins, and then back to Dariaza, who gazed at them with emotionless eyes. She guarded her secret well, for she knew if another discovered it, she'd be murdered. Then the killer would be the only one who knew the secret and would thus gain an advantage over others. It's what always happened.

Sandisma dropped the diamond down on Dariaza's table while Quinnthel wrapped the bag with the transmuted poison up. Dariaza left it there for now, untrusting, and disturbed by a rare smile both drow priestesses sent her way.

"Could the wise one examine a powder I acquired from Sorcere?" asked Sandisma, an edge of sarcasm to her voice, as Quinthel put the poison away in a hidden pocket.

Dariaza's brows rose. Sandisma had killed someone for it, in all likelihood. Power was not lightly handed out, certainly not in Sorcere, the mage school, and especially not to a priestess. Besides, Sandisma either didn't know what it was or planned some treachery with it. She held up a wand and said, "I haven't rested well lately, so forgive me if I'm easily tired right now. What powder would that be?"

Sandisma backed away a few steps and said, "I'm not going to attack you with it." She grinned a wicked grin. "Do you think I'd dispose of someone as valuable as you?"

_Why not?_, thought Dariaza, _Sandisma had disposed of her favored phase spider pet, Truffey, once jealous Lolth demanded its heart on Her altar._. That hurt. Dariaza had killed her own bat familiar, Blood Maw, for the same reason. To do otherwise would've been to doom herself AND Blood Maw. Lolth often turned Her own children against each other just to see who would prevail. So she kept the wand pointed at Sandisma.

Sandisma pulled out some powder and said, "This has a most unusual effect. Observe." Dariaza watched Sandisma and Quinthel instead. Sandisma blew on the powder and it began to spin in a circle. Then several spiders about three feet in diameter began pouring out of a portal. Sandisma and Quinthel both hid themselves under their piwafwis, becoming invisible, as Dariaza spoke a few terse words. As she spoke, 6 furry monstermen came out. Quaggoths, immune to poison and used to train spiders. About a dozen undead bugbear zombies appeared, too, looking like rotting giant goblins, as Dariaza finished her incantation.

The wand did nothing but hide her true spell. She had used what was known as a Stilled version (ie, without the motion normally needed) of Rock to Mud. The floor turned into mud that bogged down many of the spiders and beast men and zombie bugbears, and some invisible foes, too. Dariaza pulled out her special goggles crafted for her by her alu-fiend friend and put them on. She was careful to keep this advantage secret from other drow that would covet it. Now she could see the invisible drow and noted there were 8 of them. They looked like common soldiers, but 8 such drow combined with Quinnthel and Sandisma, both recently made into high priestesses of Lolth, wasn't something she wanted to face. Especially as all drow were equipped with some powerful magical items and protective spells.

Sighing, she levitated herself to the roof and cast another spell, one of her own devising. This one created a substance like mud, but it was actually more of a flammable pitch. As she cast, Sandisma got a spell off and five horrid winged heads appeared and moved to attack Dariaza, who showed no sign of seeing the disgusting and dangerous varguouilles. And Quinneth pointed a rod with waving tentacles on the end of it at Sandisma and uttered a word. Suddenly several tentacles erupted from the ceiling and wrapped around Sandisma.

"Quinthel!" shouted Sandisma, "What are you doing! This will make war between our houses! Your survival demands you let me go!"

But Quinthel was already gone, somehow teleporting herself out.

The horrid winged heads attacked Dariaza... but found nothing of substance. And Dariaza finished her spell. The rocky ceiling transformed into a muddy pitch rained down upon the invaders, effectively countering their invisibility and hampering their movements. It got Sandisma struggling with the tentacles, the levitating drow who were using magics to push themselves toward her, and the quaggoths, bugbear zombies, and spiders struggling in the mud below. Of course that was just an inconvenience for what came next. But first, to deal with the horrid heads. Some intense words and a gesture by Dariaza saw the heads dispelled, returning from whence they came.

"A projected image," said Sandisma. When Daria pointed her wand, she quickly added, "I want to kill Quenthel! Please, let's work together! She's your enemy as much as mine!"

A drow soldier threw a ball that hit Dariaza and her image vanished. "Inflammaro," they heard Dariaza's sibilant whisper. A fireball lashed out at Sandisma. The drow present shielded their eyes, not accustomed to the light that stung their eyes, and Sandisma panicked. Her spell resistance managed to prevent the fireball from affecting her. However, the pitch on her burst into flames and she shrieked as her skin began to melt. Several below her also burst into flames and the room filled with the stench of flaming pitch, flesh, and fur.

The drow soldiers converged on where the fireball had come from, desperate to keep her from loosening another fireball. But this time Dariaza just put her hands together, muttering a word, and several flames lashed out, each getting a soldier. The drow began dying horribly.

Dariaza didn't so much as blink at the harsh glare. Unlike most drow, she was able to handle light. The near century of having to deal with a lit candle to memorize spells and her forays in blooding rituals of striking at those on the surface world under the burning sun had acclimated her eyes. But even this was a bit much. Luckily, the magical goggles protected her sensitive eyes. She pulled her hand crossbow out and loaded it with bolts poisoned with eviscrator poison.

She went around dispatching the drow first. Then she pulled a wand of lightning bolts out and went down to dispatch any surviving monsters in the muck. There weren't any. She sighed and put her wand away. But the bugbear zombies were enhanced with some magic and continued to struggle, so she pulled a scroll and read a spell that would dispatch the undead.

Now all her enemies still in the room were destroyed, but the room she used to do business in was a mess Pulling another wand out, she dispelled all remaining magics, and the floor took it's hardened shape again, no longer flammable. She'd send in slaves later to clean up further. Right now she had to get to Matron Helensha. She had a feeling the one enemy that survived, her sister Quinnthel, was already there trying to convince her to protect her from Dariaza's wrath.


	2. Chapter 2

II.

Matron Helensha sat on her stone throne in a room lit with faery fire, with walls covered by tapestries that looked to be living flesh with oozing eyes somehow expressing terror floating on them. Behind the matron mother was a tapestry showing the moving images of spiders crawling over them, wrapping tiny drow in webs. In addition to her, Quinthel, and Dariaza was Tonken, a page boy who waited upon the Matron Mother Helensha, and Jakan, the current male toy for her pleasure. He wasn't entirely sane anymore, but she chose him again as a temporary fix, having just carved up Ericanus on her altar to Lolth. Other drow were about cleaning the stronghold and preparing the defenses for a possible strike by house of Sandisma Griffonka. With the exception of Quinthel and Sandisma herself, who met at Arach Tinilith while learning the intracacies of the Matriarchy and theology of Lolth, the two families (Morgendorffera and Griffonka) had never gotten along well.

Furthermore, Lolth had given Helensha a sign of Chwisasshra, or the Test of Vengeance. Because of this, Helensha was to work to directly destroy the Griffonkas, and so it MUST be done. She couldn't rest until every woman and lesser being of the Griffonkas was destroyed. And now she learned from Quinthel (verified by spells at her disposal) that the Griffonkas had a similar directive against them. Quinnthel, who had been given the Chwidevbril, or Test of Betrayal, by Lolth, had just betrayed Sandisma after convincing Sandisma that she was willing to betray her matron mother in exchange for being adoped by the Griffonkas (a bargain they likely would've betrayed Quinthel on, Helensha noted to herself).

This was a needed thing, and she was glad that a powerful budding high priestess of the Griffonkas had been dispatched by members of her own family. But now she would have to move swiftly to deal with the Griffonkas who were already plotting to destroy her house. But her plans were being pushed faster than she thought. And Dariaza now lusted for the blood of Quinthel, and while not ambitious, she was as dangerous as any spider hungry for fresh meat. 

Matron Helensha took a sip of the wine handed to her by Tonken. Finally, she said, "Dariaza, stop this foolish demand for justice on your sister. I don't doubt you enjoyed frying the Griffonkas, and they mean to kill you anyway. Quinthel simply exposed your enemy to you before they could fully strike our house." 

"Leaving me with several drow, zombies, monsters and spiders to dispatch." Killing spiders was frowned upon, and plenty were put to death for it. But there were always exceptions. They had all seen some high priestess pick up a spider and tear off its legs without thought at one time or another. Those same priestesses would horribly execute anyone who so much as stepped on a spider accidentally. Lolth's capricious nature made sure the rules were ever changing, and often contradictory.

"I knew you'd be strong enough to handle her and anything she'd throw at you," said Quinthel sincerely.

It was true. Dariaza had been born weak. This was surprising because Helensha had felt the twins within her and had felt them fight each other. Such chad-zaks were why many females wanted to carry. The fighting of multiple babies in the womb until only one was left produced a sensation that could not be matched in any bed chamber. From the very womb, drow learned to fight each other, and leaving the strongest to be born, where the fight would continue.

Dariaza won against her male twin. Perhaps this is why she was drawn to wizardry, having taken the talent and the role from the lesser male. But she was half blind, having a limited darkvision and not very acute eyesight. It was as if she had eyes more like goblins than drow. Helensha left her alive only to serve as practice to other children, who would eventually kill her in their games.

But they hadn't. Dariaza may have been flawed, but she was gifted with an incredible mind for strategy. She had managed to get a hold of some explosive runes from the house wizard and allowed the other drow children to bully her to give it up to them. Even with their innate spell resistance, they fell to the magic within the little box, and most of them died.

Some of the others, most of them older, decided Dariaza was too dangerous to live and went to kill her in her sleep. But the sleeping form they stabbed had been a bag with yellow mold in it. Its spores burst out with the stabbings, and injured them all, killing some outright. Then Dariaza, who had been in the habit of experiencing the rest of elven reverie INSIDE a hollowed space within her bedding came out and levitated to the ceiling. From there she threw beakers of acid on the survivors.

Quinthel was one of the few survivors, but her face was horribly burned. She had never dared to attack Dariaza outright again. Matron Helensha had to use some necromantic magics that had turned slaves into decaying husks to fully restore Quinthel's sight and beauty.

Ever since, Quinthel had been vain about her sleek black skin, sharp-featured black face, elegant pointed elven ears, pale pink eyes, beautiful smile in purple gums, and the unusual crop of copper hair she had inherited from her matron mother. Dariaza looked plain and drab in comparison, with white hair and pale silver eyes, and standard dark elven body. Perhaps beautiful (if terrifying) to behold to some lesser races (like humans), she was just drab and plain by drow standards.

But more importantly, Helensha was impressed by Dariaza's devious mind. Because she needed all the healthy children she could get to preserve House Morgendorffera, she healed up the few survivors. To that same end, she worked on Daria's sight until her eyes were as sharp as any drow's.

Dariaza's magical potential was also discovered by then, and she was mentored while still a child into House Shobalar, one of the most prominent houses for teaching magic outside of Sorcere itself. It wasn't long before she evoked a dagger to repeatedly stab a bugbear to death after it had foolishly kicked her. It would've killed Dariaza anyway, before the dagger could finish it, but she had conjured magical grease underneath it so that it couldn't reach her as it was stabbed to death.

Of course she won many of the contests she was entered in, and despite being female, was allowed to proceed into Sorcere to continue learning the ways of magic--and killing. She was subtle, and she often used others who did not realize they were being manipulated by her into acting as her weapons. She was deadly and surprising, even as a child. Only rarely was she locked up in a cage, doused with icy waters, or beaten until she was nearly dead, only to be magically healed before starting the beating again. Those who dared treat her like the other students often endured odd accidents and misfortune.

She was so good, Helensha would've had her killed before she could try to usurp her position of matron mother, but there was no political power in being a wizard. Wizardry was a MALE profession, and just because she was so good at it didn't gain her glory, anymore than winning a beauty contest against goblins, or winning a battle of wits against a kobold. She seemed content to retreat from the world and focus on her magical Art, and Helensha gave her anything she could to keep her content in exchange for the many magical means Dariaza came up with to defend and strengthen House Morgendorffera. And while no female respected her for her life's path, they did respect her deviousness and power and gave her a wide berth.

But Dariaza didn't feel like letting the matter drop. "You put me at risk without telling me."

"Would you have believed me if I came to you beforehand?" asked Quinthel. "And notice that I didn't wrap tentacles around YOU." _Of course, I HAD already noticed your image was an illusion, since you wouldn't touch anything on the table. When I challenged the view in my head, I was able to see the magic of your form and didn't know where you really were._

Dariaza acknowledged with a nod that she wouldn't have trusted her and so dropped it. "Fine. You did it because of some stupid test..."

"There is NOTHING stupid about the Will of Lolth!" shouted Quinthel, and her snake headed whip hung on her hip suddenly came to life, with the snakes hissing in agitation. "This is just you still bitter over having to kill that bat of yours. Really, that bat was good when you were new in the Art, keeping you alive and stuff, but Lolth did you a favor by demanding its death. You're powerful enough to get a quasit or something more worthy of a drow daughter of a matron mother. Stop fighting it and be glad Lolth honored you with her attention and by getting rid of a weakness. She makes you strong, if you let Her. Just as she does all of Menzoberranzan."

Dariaza barely hid her instinctive bristle at the reminder of her being forced to murder her own beloved Blood Maw. Forcibly putting that out of her mind, as she knew Quinthel was trying to hurt her and would only be satisfied knowing she had scored a hit, she instead said, "Menzoberranzan is weak after a disastrous war with dwarves. The city continues to lose priestesses as they fight each other, trying to decide who is the favor of Lolth. It just seems like such a waste." _And I'll never get another familiar as long as I live under the gaze of Lolth,_, she silently added. _I have OTHER ways to guard myself anyway._

"Your words seem like such blasphemy," returned Quinthel hotly. "Besides, I killed Sandisma, or arranged it so you would have no problem dispatching her. I've made sacrifices, too!"

Matron Helensha broke in, trying to soothe both of her daughters that she'd need in the coming conflict with Griffonka. "We know that Lolth will consume us all, and that our existence is but a brief dance between predator and prey, the stronger weeding out the weaker so that our race can continue to grow in glory to the dismay of lesser races elsewhere. Quinthel has proven herself the stronger, as have you Dariaza. What is there to fear with that glorious knowledge? Children and lesser beings fear it, but we REVEL in it, casting aside cowardice and shame to rule the lands Below."

"Maintaining the social structure through chaos." In Menzoberranzan, like many drow cities, every house and person achieved their own rank. The top 8 houses formed a ruling council of sorts, and all houses constantly battled for rank and position, leading to a life of blood, slaughter, preemptive strikes, and betrayal. Those who questioned Lolth were routinely weeded out along with the weak.

"There's another way to maintain order?" returned Helensha.

"Lolth often plays favorites, but is fickle and will likely turn her dark face upon a favorite without warning and probably sooner than expected." 

"We are all Lolth's meat," agreed Helensha reflexively, drinking of her wine.

"Yeah, so why fight it?" asked Dariaza.

"Because we are all Lolth's meat dancing for Her pleasure and joy." Helensha couldn't understand how someone as smart as Dariaza was getting tripped up on such a simple truth.

"Yet priestesses rarely sacrifice other priestesses, though Lolth favors them above all others," remarked Quinthel.

"Because they band together, knowing if any of them can be lightly consigned to the altar, they ALL can be;" replied Dariaza. "So they make it very difficult by banding together and assassinating each other only when a back is foolishly turned."

"And so order is maintained, the weak and foolish weeded out," added Helensha.

Dariaza stilled her snarky tongue. She was already playing a dangerous and deadly game by stating some of her thoughts to these religious fanatics. Much as they needed her to prevail, they'd rip out her heart if commanded to do so by Lolth, or sensed her heresy and bitterness at Menzoberranzan's social order. A drow that did not take mad delight in wanton slaughter was no drow at all but a waiting sacrifice to be weeded out from the strong and faithful.

"Would you rather we live like duergar, or svirfneblin?" asked Quinthen. "They don't weed out their weak, and they're just loathsome pests fit to die upon a drow sword."

"Lousy deep gnomes," muttered Jakan, "always threatening us for precious baubles and gems."

"Why not trade them some of our lesser magics for their gems? They wouldn't be a threat then." All drow in the room stared at her in shock.

Helensha shook her head, saying, "I'm glad you've killed enough of the pests with clouds of poisoned gas, or I'd rip out your heart for your words. You have passed almost all tests at Sorcere and as demanded by Lolth, and yet you ask such stupid questions. Why would drow make deals with filthy, treacherous beasts?"

_Maybe the same reason we make deals with each other?_ thought Dariaza silently, but didn't say. She sensed she was too close to being placed on an altar for blasphemy.

"It's like she's not only a wizard like a male, but foolish and weak like a male, too." 

Helensha decided she had better end this before the two sisters swore vengeance on each other. "We HAVE tried. We try to tell them this is OUR land, but they keep trying to find their gems, even in caves where the excavation is too difficult for a proper drow to deal with. But they keep coming, and we have to keep killing them to ensure our survival and our right to live in peace." Suddenly, Helensha's goblet of spiced wine glowed green. "What's this?" asked Helensha, drawing all eyes upon her. She dropped it in horror. "It's been poisoned! How did someone get poison into the goblet!?" Then she began convulsing.

Dariaza looked to Quinthel and saw her smile wickedly, as she pulled out a hand crossbow and shot Jakan, who slumped over asleep. She didn't bother with Dariaza who had a stoneskin spell in place anyway. She went up to her mother and said, "The Chwidevbril, where I was to betray Sandista?" said Quinthel. "Not really. It was to betray YOU." A quick pull of a dagger and and Quinthel stuck it deep into her matron mother's throat. Dariaza didn't doubt that the dagger was poisoned, too.

"Was that wise?" asked Dariaza calmly.

With a fluid motion, Quinthel pulled her snake headed whip, and lashed out at the page boy, Tonken.

"I did everything you said, Mistress!!!" he mewled. The several snake heads bit into his flesh again and again, and his screams grew ever hoarser, and his blood flowed like red rivulets down his ebony skin, and staining his shock of white hair. Soon, he was out and possibly dying while Quinthel lingered a moment over him, breathing hard and smiling her excitement.

Then she turned to Dariaza and calmly asked, "Is questioning the will of Lolth and your new matron mother wise?" She smirked when she saw Dariaza pull a wand out, and put her whip away. It continued to hiss Quinthel's excitement, the fangs dripping the blood of their last victim. "Oh, Dariaza, there's about to be a war on Griffonka. Matron Helensha was too slow about wiping them out, angering Lolth. I am acting on Lolth's will, and I plan to wipe them out this very night. I can use you. Help me with the eradication and I will let you live. I will get you your magic and you will use that magic to serve me, as you once did Matron Helensha."

Dariaza knew to do anything other than to agree was death. "Lolth will be pleased with House Morgendoffera, Matron Quinthel," responded Dariaza, bowing her head slightly as appropriate for one of her station to her matron mother.

"Go and prepare for battle then," commanded Matron Quinthel. "We attack as soon as I rip out the hearts of Tonken and Jakan on the altar of Lolth for the blessing of the Weaver of Webs."

Dariaza left, wondering what exactly she was going to do.


	3. Chapter 3

Dariaza handed out the many potions and wands of minor magic to be distributed among the drow soldiers for the immanent attack. Then she gathered her alchemical items, poisons, weapons, and gear and looked one last time at her chamber. _I'm leaving_ she thought, with only a little fear, _I really am. I'll never see this place again, and it feels awesome._ A magical hairclip altered her features so that she appeared to be a wandering drow wizard in the city for trade, rather than a female of House Morgendorffera. Then she unrolled a scroll and read the words that allowed an unusual dimensional door to open, taking her to Narbondellyn, the trader's district.

Named for Narbondel, the natural stone pillar that served as the city's clock, the district was miles beneath earth and stone and gem studded caverns, deep within the protective radiations of the Underdark. It was Below, as opposed to the lesser races that languished beneath a burning sun Above. While there was no sky or seasons to tell time here, Narbondel was magically heated everyday, the heat retreating until it was time to reset it. The heat gave off a light that allowed the drow the maximum use of their dark vision, a sight that could pierce all but the darkest (and magical) glooms, and was powerful enough to be the envy of an eagle.

Having been one of the few drow to frequently travel, she was aware of how stunning her home city was, with its delicate artistic fashions lavished on homes, gardens, and personal armor and weapons. Glowing faery fires limned many buildings and even creatures, gems, and merchandise. Rich drow were carried on litters preceded by drow soldiers that marched in eerie, magical silence. Other drow had goblin slaves and the like behind them, loaded with purchases and gear. Chic cafes selling gems, art, magic, slaves, wines, debauchery, assassination, and more were all around her doing a lively business. She deftly moved out of the way of a drow merchant atop a giant lizard mount and quickly blended into the drow traffic, taking care to step over an eviscerated drow that had yet to be cleaned up by the slaves.

Here was one of the few places that outlanders, even nearly blind and ridiculously young humans from Above, could do business with the drow who forever hungered after luxuries and goods that could not be procured easily Below. One of these stalls was owned by a Casa Lana, of which she was friends with a Jana and Trent. Jana was an alu-fiend, one that actually remained with her succubus mother. Well, that was a loose word. The mother, Amandinya, ran many theaters and parlors of vice throughout multiple planes, including one here in Menzoberranzan. She was rarely home as a result. The tiefling father was also a wanderer and bard of note that was somehow immune to a succubus's kiss. As was typical, only Jana and Trent were home, when they weren't out, making extra money by selling the magical items they crafted here and in other cities. Sigil had gateways to more worlds and planes than a homebound drow could imagine.

It was naturally assumed that Jana, being outside the drow social structure, didn't have motivations beyond trade. Alu-fiends were demonic half-breeds, barely accepted by other demons, and fearfully persecuted by most others. The magically-gifted alu-fiends, however, were often valued as fiendish wizards by those inclining to evil. The drow weren't impressed with even alu-fiend's magical skills, but neither did they fear them. Jana, as a magical artisan from Sigil, was allowed to do business in these caverns. Her family was already known as planar traders, made up of mostly tieflings and half-fiends.

Half-demon or not, Dariaza found Jana much more likeable, and even more trustworthy, than any drow she'd ever known.

Trent was a cambion, another type of half-demon, whose glistening, midnight black scales never failed to excite her. He had been an orphan wandering Sigil's streets until Jana brought him home. Her 'rents never asked questions and he eventually was considered one of the family. Not that such meant anything other than not being considered an invader. Even the drow often had more involved families than Jana did. Dariaza envied her.

Dariaza had managed to get Jana a vazhan-do, a stringed instrument unique to the drow, that had 64 tight strings. Any string could be taken off and used as a garrote. A furious plucking evoked violent torrents of notes that could get even demons to dance (if you considered their assaults on each other to be dancing), or slowly bent in a way that produced some of the most haunting, disturbing sounds that could chill an undead spirit. Jana had enchanted it with various magics and wards and they both had given it to Trent as a present.

It had taken him a few years to master it, but he was now the envy of many musicians, and while his skill was atrocious compared to a drow, the magical instrument was widely popular all the same in many rough dives, particularly in the Chaotic planes. Of course there were plenty of magical wards placed on the instrument to prevent its theft, though Trent had nearly been murdered for it more than once. Dariaza still had to repress shivers when she recalled how he looked at her in awe, gratitude and excitement when she and Jana handed it to him.

Shaking her head, she concentrated on what was important. There was a portal to Sigil inside the small shop. She went in but today there were only tieflings manning the shop, each a unique being with unknown abilities, they were all an unknown mix of a mortal race with a touch or two of fiendish blood from some unknown (or best left unnamed) ancestor. They were often feared by mortal races, but even fiends dismissed them as just another mortal. Nodding, she turned back to the door, pulled a match, and said a word that caused the match to light. Stepping through the door, she found herself in the Market Ward of Sigil. The tieflings wouldn't pursue her. Few drow even knew what a match was. Without holding a lit match, one could not step through the portal.

Even in all her travels and scrying, Dariaza had never seen a city like Sigil before. Shaped like a wagon wheel, one could walk the streets and eventually be back where one started. Both directions would be as walking an incline, with the houses and buildings seeming to jut out of a nothingness (many of them being much bigger on the inside than they appeared on the outside), leaning towards her, wherever she might be.

It was dark now, and if she looked up, she would've seen the lights of lanterns in the city above her, looking almost like stars. During the moments where the city was brightly lit and free of pollution (a rare occurence indeed), one could even make out the buildings above one's head. Like the denizens of the underdark, many of Sigil's natives felt uncomfortable under an open sky.

What was odd was that she knew that if she were to see Sigil from the Outlands, the city would look to be on its side. To her, her feet were on the ground, so that way was down, but it wasn't exactly true. Down was beside her. It took some getting used to.

Perhaps the oddest thing to Dariaza's mind is that the city was ruled by (or it imprisoned) a mysterious Lady of Pain. No one offered her prayers or fealty though. To do so was to be flayed in a way that make even a drow cringe. Some believed that by refusing to be a god, she was able to block all deities from coming in. Not even Lolth could reach into Sigil, though she could still send her proxies, or representatives. Dariaza had never seen this Lady of Pain, but she had heard enough times that should she ever see a levitating lady with cutlery flashing around her head, to RUN. She could only hope the darker whispers about the Lady were more rumor and hype than truth.

Yet the city provided protection from many of the powerful forces and gods of the multiverse. Even demons typically checked their behavior in most places of Sigil. Some had been here so long that they even had become somewhat civilized, though it was almost unheard of for a demon to truly give up its evil ways (but it had happened). It was also a trader's city where anything and everything could be had for a price, and the city made many denizens of the planes fabulously wealthy.

But the harsh nature of the citizens, the barely breathable air, the dangerous visitors (some of whom were the drow of the underdark), the presence of monsters, the squalor of the Hive and corruption of the wealthy, and the Lady of Pain herself caused many to live in constant fear. Like Menzoberranzan, it was a city of stunning achievement and chilling atrocity in its own way. Though even this city, as foul as it could sometimes be and with the demons and abominations free to roam, did not smack of the constant evil of Menzoberranzan.

What was hardest on Dariaza wasn't the hours of bright light that happened by some unknown magic, but the constant foul smelling smoke and smells of sewage and filth, along with the near constant foul drizzle that sprinkled her. Crinkling her nose, she turned to see several cranium rats staring at her. Looking like rats, they had exposed brains and completely white eyes. She knew they had a communal intelligence, and the more of them they were, the smarter they all were. They were also malicious. Luckily, there didn't seem to be that many, and they quickly left after she returned their state. _Who was studying whom?_ Dariaza thought to herself, as she began moving to Casa Lana, careful to avoid a patch of razorvine that would've easily cut some of her gear (her stoneskin spell still in effect would at least prevent her skin from being cut).

"Oooo, a drow, she's here to cut your heart out for her goddess."

Dariaza turned at the familiar voice to see Jana winking at her, holding tight to a human. The human seemed to be trying to get away, but Jana wasn't letting go. Finally, he pulled a dagger. Dariaza pointed a finger and a small electrical charge hit the human's hand. He screamed and dropped it.

"All right, I have the money, I swear!" He pulled out some coins and handed them to Jana.

"I thought so. I'll take another one for the trouble I had to get it from you." When she got it, she let go and he fled.

Dariaza walked up to Jana, most others giving them plenty of room. In some ways, Jana was about the exact opposite of Dariaza in appearance, with pale skin under lustrous black hair. She kept her hair cut short, unlike most alu-fiends, but her hair was still vibrant and somewhat curly in a way that appealed to most others. Her wings looked like those of a giant bat. Her blue eyes shown with mischief, and she gave Dariaza a fanged grin. "So what are you doing in Sigil, berk? You about to be put on the altar?" The term "berk" wasn't used much in Sigil anymore, but Jana didn't seem to care.

She lost her smile as Dariaza came close. "I'm leaving House Morgendorffera, Menzoberranzan, all of it. I'm never going back. I was hoping I could stay with you. I've brought plenty of things to pay my way and my skills as a wizard should be more than enough to keep supporting me."

"Whoa, hold on here, berk," replied Jana. "I don't have a problem taking you in, but I have to know, what's going on?"

"Can we find somewhere else to talk, away from the portal to Menzoberranzan?"

Jana frowned. "Expecting pursuit?"

"Eventually, for sure. I'm not sure about right away though."

Jana led her to a dive called The Smokey Den. Dariaza quickly cast a spell that enabled her to breathe through the smoke, and they went in to get a hidden table and some Abyssal wine.

"I have to ask," said Dariaza, "how many drow have you known outside of the underdark and magical environments like Sigil?"

Jana shrugged. "A few," she said.

"Do they still possess drow magic and innate powers?"

Jana pursed her lips in thought. "Some do. I know some complained about their magics disintegrating at the sight of the sun, or even just leaving the underdark for too long. But it doesn't always happen."

Dariaza nodded. "The wizards at Sorcere have been sharing rumors that drow magic is sometimes surviving the harsh burning of the sun. I would like to know that a lot of my magic isn't going to burn away. It's about the only reason I've stayed as long as I have."

Jana nodded, saying, "There's plenty of other magics you can use, berk. And I can introduce you to a couple of drow wizards that have their powers while living under the open sky."

Dariaza nodded, tensely. She greatly feared the losing of her powers. But it recently occurred to her that if their powers could survive, many drow (especially the males) would flee the tyranny of the priestesses and forge their own empires Above. Thus, it would be a closely guarded secret to keep those like her Below, under the thumbs of the priestesses of Lolth.

"So what's the deal with running away?" asked Jana.

Dariaza told her, in detail, the events since Quinthel and Sandisma came to get their poison polymorphed. While Jana was familliar with Menzoberranzan, even she was shocked by what some of Dariaza's tale.

"So Quinthel killed Sandisma AND your--and her--matron mother?" She whistled. "You have one dysfunctional family, berk."

"It's the way of Lolth," Dariaza replied. "Most get used to it. Quinthel used to have other sisters in training. The first one, a Staciantha, didn't have the confidence becoming of a daughter of Lolth. Lolth was displeased and transfomed her into an aracholoth."

"A what?"

"Aracholoth. Those are drow turned into something half-spider and sexless. They're even lower than drider. They hate drow and their bite is death."

"One wonders why they hate drow," said Jana dryly. "But who was the next to fall beneath the Mother of Mandibles?"

"Tiffanisa. Her family made a prized silk fabric used in making clothes for the elite. It's said some of them had poisons in them that seeped into skins of those who wore them. Other tales shared of spider eggs that would hatch later and destroy the one wearing it. All in all, very popular fashion in Menzoberranzan. And Tiffanisa was very vain about her silk clothings, wearing them to show off her status and her skill. Lolth is a jealous goddess and demanded her silks. She refused, and when she put them on again, she changed into a Spiderleg Horror."

"A Spiderleg Horror?"

"Nearly mindless beasts that look to be made up of hairy spider legs ending in a sharp tip. They're drawn to motion and strangle and devour anything they can find."

Jana shivered. "Sounds worse than being carved up on the altars of Lolth."

Dariaza nodded. "Being fed to the Flesh Carver is an honor, though one many try to avoid. Being transformed into some cursed arachnid horror is not."

Then a horrific thought occurred to Jana. "Dariaza... the drow have many children, but many don't survive. How many brothers and sisters do you now have besides Quinthel?"

"None."

"None?"

Dariaza sighed. "Many tried killing me when I was young. They failed." She didn't have to explain that meant they did not survive the attempt. "A few survived. But my brother Mackenzai got into a stupid contest with Kevenorok. They levitated over a pit with demon vipers in it and cast darkness over each other. It's a game of guts to see who dares to stay there the longest, trying to come down shortly before your levitation abilities wear off. As happens sometimes, both fell to their deaths before the darkness ended. Jodana of House Landorna thought I had killed him and wouldn't talk to me for over 10 years."

"Bummer. So any fail these, uh, what are they again?"

"Lolthtanchwi, or the Punishments of Lolth. There's nothing to gain, except to continue to live as a drow."

"How many of these have you faced?"

"Another time, Jana."

Jana nodded, and then remembered her original question. "And you had siblings who failed this test?"

"Yeah," said Dariaza. "Burnouzgurlan failed a test of ambition. Matron Helensha saw the green spider exit her mouth showing Lolth's displeasure and why. She forced us to watch as she cut out her heart to prevent her lack of daring and ambition from shaming the rest of the family. 'If you don't have the heart of a drow, I'll cut it out myself,' she told us."

Jana shivered. "I've always wondered how the drow rulers allowed unbound demons to live in their city. The drow are the ONLY ones I know of in the Prime Material to do that, btw. Now I'm wondering how it is the demons dare to live among the drow."

"I know one demon apprenticed herself to Sandisma, to better learn the arts of torture," replied Dariaza.

Jana looked to see if this was more of Dariaza's very dry humor. She shivered when she saw it was not. "Well, berk, you can stay with me. The 'rents are rarely home and don't care anyway. You better watch Mom though. She grew up in Azzagrat, which resides in the Abyss. She has stories that could match your own. She's busy these days with her playhouses and dens of vice in Sigil and among the planes to worry much about here. But she might worry what a drow wizard would want. But once she decided you weren't meaning any harm, she might try to use you to help in her biz or in intimidating rivals. Oh, and watch your magic! Plenty of my relatives will steal any unguarded magic!"

Dariaza smiled momentarily, thinking of the nasty items she often left for thieves. Losing her smile, she added, "But the drow I left behind might not want me left alive. Lolth Herself may demand my heart. If so, they know we're friends and could come around. You do NOT want drow assassins after you."

"Hmmm...we could stop in Svartalfheim," said Jana. "We have markets there. Spider worshippers do NOT want to get caught by the sin-eaters and the dancers of Eilistraee."

Dariaza bristled. "Drow so low that they make my family look sweet in comparison!"

"Exaggerate much?" When Dariaza blinked at her, she added, "Do you believe everything the high priestesses of Lolth tell you?"

Dariaza calmed down. "Good point," she added. She didn't like thinking of that, because she'd helped to kill enough drow of that cult, as well as of the goddess of undead and vengeance, and even the male god of rogues.

She shook her head slightly as she recalled that some gods, even among the drow, were male. Many of the male cult were also bitter from their experiences at the hands of females. Males were not allowed to refuse any priestess, and one desired by two competing priestesses was headed for the altar or worse unless he could get away. Even those who had the attention of one could be killed in sex by what drow called "the spider's kiss." And should a female become too attached, Lolth would demand the male's heart given to her.

Most males simply accepted their lot in life, taking what comfort they could in debauchery at the whim of the females before they were slain or sacrificed. Others did all the could to be considered too valuable to waste, such as becoming wizards. Some joined all male hunting bands, or made sure they were as unbecoming as possible, preferring the derision of priestesses to their unholy lusts. And some joined the male god, and tried striking back at the matriarchy. Of course, being males, they weren't that much of a threat.

Still, just because they weren't of Lolth didn't mean they were GOOD. "But I know at least some of the other gods are as vile as Lolth. How do I know the Dancing Goddess isn't one of them?"

"Take my word for it, berk," said Jana. "They are so totally different from the spider worshippers, or any other drow deities that I've heard of." She shrugged, adding, "There are other elven deities, too. Like the Seldarine, or even the Seelie Court."

Dariaza bristled again. The Seelie Court was hated, almost as much as the Unseelie Queen that had temporarily imprisoned Lolth back when she was a mere demon and not yet a goddess. The Seldarine... the most vile words were used to describe them. "Faery elves!" she hissed. "Now I know you've spent too much time in the maddening winds of Pandemonium!"

"Hey, I'm not saying the elves are all that good, but it's a rare elf that makes me want to keep my back to the wall. As opposed to drow."

Dariaza calmed herself again. If she was going to leave Menzoberranzan, she'd have to leave behind its teachings, as well. "Sorry," she said. "I'll take your word for it. But I'm sure most faeries would be as glad to see me as I am of them."

Jana snorted. "True, most elves on the Prime Material would kill you on sight. But here in Sigil and in other places, dark elves are not always drow, they are just another kind of elf, accepted into the elven community. Such dark elves revile the Spider Queen as much as you seem to."

Dariaza nodded. "Okay, I'll try to keep an open mind. But I think I'd prefer to learn of other gods that I could call upon for protection against the Flesh Carver. Are there any for wizards?"

"Plenty," replied Jana. "Outside the Seldarine, there's Boccob. You'd probably do well with him, the Archmage of the Deities. Or if the neutrality turns you off, there's Azuth, but I think he's a bit too lawful for you. There are Mystra and Isis, too. If you want an evil goddess, there's Shar or Hecate. Or not evil, there's Selune the moon goddess that is favored among female spellcasters & travelers in particular. Freya is on the same plane of existence as Selune, and she has many elven followers, including dark elves that have rejected evil. There are all kinds of gods of wizardry and magic. Gods of books and knowledge, too. I expect they'd all be glad to have you, too. They'd probably want you to do an atonement or something, just to prove you really are into changing and accepting another deity, but it would probably be something you could live with."

"Okay, fine. I renounce Lolth. Gladly. But we should both make ourselves hard to find for awhile."

"As it is, Trent has some gigs. We should go find him and we can hang along. He and his band are good people to have with you in a fight anyway."

Dariaza nodded, glad her dark skin prevented her from blushing like the lighter skin races do. Just thinking of that half-fiendish human with glistening black scales, razor sharp fangs, and glowing red eyes made her warm in a way that no lowly drow male ever did.

"I see you're lost in thought again," smiled Jana.

"Dammit, Jana, we got more important things to do!" She got up to head to Casa Lanta, and Jana rose to accompany her. And even in life weary Sigil, several gave plenty of room to the drow wizard and smiling alu-fiend accompanying her, fearing the evil reputations of both.


	4. Chapter 4

IV.

IV.

Sigil is a city in which righteous celestials and malicious fiends rub shoulders, in which denizens of countless worlds and planes mix in a city rife with crime and transients. Angelic devas passed devilish fiends on a regular basis, with mortals of every conceivable ethical and moral alignment between them. It is, in short, volatile, and conflicts frequently occur.

So it was that Jana and Dariaza were almost at Casa Lane in the Lower Ward when they were accosted an angry human.

"Watch it, berk," said Jana to Dariaza as she saw him. "Steve Taylor again."

"You," he said with disgust, "are you now housing drow pervs along with bezekira kittens?"

"Taylor is NOT a bezikira kitten. Do you really think I'd have any critter from Baator in my home?"

"A quasit in disguise then, and probably your familiar most foul no doubt."

"Consider me an accomplice," said an annoyed Dariaza as a warning to the human--and a male to boot-- that dared to interfere with them.

"I already did," he snarled.

Dariaza turned to Jana in curiosity. "Accomplice in what?"

Jana rolled her eyes. "Oh, he has a son..."

"HAD a son," he snarled, "and his name was Brian!"

"Had a son named Bryan that tortured animals. But he finally picked the wrong one and got what he deserved."

"Brian never hurt animals, he just played with them as kids do. Besides, they're just animals."

"Well, Taylor didn't hurt him. And if there was anything between my cat and your boy, I'm sure Taylor was just playing with him the way cats do. Besides, your boy was just a sadistic freak." _And coming from a half-tanar'ri, that's saying something!_, she added silently.

"You named him Taylor?" asked Steve Taylor in outrage. "Why did you name him after the last name of the boy he killed?"

"Um, coincidence?"

"You think I'm addle-coved enough to believe that chant?"

"Yes?"

"YOUR cat killed MY boy. I don't expect a tanar'ri to understand, but understand this: You give me that cat, ALIVE, or I send sodkillers after you AND the cat."

Dariaza pulled a wand. "How can you do that if you're dead, human?"

"Please, Dariaza," Jana said in a jaded tone with a hint of amusement, "not so close to my home. Let's kill him where his undead spirit can't haunt me."

"Okay," said Dariaza, changing wands. "I'll polymorph him into a mouse and maybe feed some starving kittie over in the Hive."

"Um, Dariaza, note the minders..." went Jana with more nervousness. 

Dariaza had already seen several humans and tieflings stepping forward, two of them with wands of their own, and another with a staff sparking with eldritch power. She sighed. "Fine, we'll settle up later."

"On that much, you are correct, drow." He said "drow" in such a way that Dariaza longed to see him whipped with live snakes, or even given to Mistress Barchanida at Arach Tinilith. "What you will do is bring me the cat that murdered my boy by this time tomorrow, or I come for the cat and the both of you." With that, he stormed off.

As the duo continued to Casa Lane, Jane sighed. "Great, one more thing to worry about."

"Who was he?" 

"Steve Taylor. Has an Alu-Fiend for a wife that pretends to be human, but he pops an attitude with my family. Has a daughter named Brittany, too, that is one of the more popular tieflings in Sigil, getting invited to the more decadent parties. Since SHE doesn't torture animals, she's still alive to do that. But Steve can't understand that and wants my Taylor on a pike."

"I thought you had a cat named Zachary?"

"Zachary is an anarchic cat, or what some call the 'unformed.' They seem incomplete or mixed with something else. They're just weird. Interesting, though disturbing to many. Kinda like that one anarchic cat that actually had musical talent and ran for President on some Prime world, Bill or whatever."

Some images even Dariaza could do without, so she changed the subject back to the other cat. "So how did you come by Taylor?"

"I saw him eating Brian Taylor and told him he was a good kitty for getting rid of the sadistic boy that tortured animals like some demented fiend. I mean, I'm half-tanar'ri and even I'm not THAT sadistic. I guess he understood because when Steve chased him, he came and hid in my house. I denied it when Steve pounded, along with some of his friends, but the cat has come and gone enough times to know he's there now."

"Sounds mean. Are you sure it's safe to have him around?"

"Is it safe to have a half-tanar'ri around? Is it safe to have a drow around?" 

Dariaza shrugged and they both entered Casa Lane. Dariaza's eyes opened in startlement as a huge black cat with glowing red eyes and covered with scars yowled and ran up to her, spitting. Jana picked him up, cooing, "There's my sweet kitty! Going to protect me from the nasty drow! He won't put up with mean little boys or strange drow in his home! Now dear, Dariaza is a FRIEND. She's WELCOME here and, like you, she needs the protection of Casa Lane. Yes, show her what a sweet kitty you can be!"

The glowing red eyes of the cat bore into Dariaza's and it gave another hiss.

"Go on, Taylor, find some more cranium rats to eat!" She tossed the cat down who ran off. Another cat, Zachary, came out. He appeared to be constructed of bones, scar tissue, a torn calico ear, sinew and snatches of grey, green, and purple fur. He had two enormous eyes, one green, the other violet. "Ah, my sweet, sweet Zach!" Jana began petting Zach who let her for a minute, and then he scampered off. Shortly after they heard the demon cat spit and chase the anarchic cat up the stairs. But then there was a yowl and Dariaza saw the demon cat running down the other way of the hall with the anarchic cat after him making coughing noises.

"Um, Jana, I don't know which is more disturbing, you or the cats." 

"I suppose you'd prefer giant black widows and phase spiders spinning deadly webs everywhere?"

"Jana, that demon cat had fangs the size of my pinkie and eyes that glowed with the fires of some fiendish hell."

"Meh, you have small pinkies," she replied dismissively. "In any case, I'm not going to let Steve hire sodkillers to take out Taylor. And since we need to be hard to find for awhile anyway, I think I'll take him over to Tieffer Casa Lane in Azzagrat. They appreciate cats like him that can help keep the pests to a minimum, and serve as a line of defense against home invaders. Let's get some things ready and we'll leave tomorrow after we refresh our spells and stuff." 

"Um, you mean go to the Abyss? Taking a cat that hates me and has already feasted on human blood and has boldly stated his intention of having me for his next repast?"

"Azzagrat isn't that bad. Well, not for the Abyss anyway. Better than Menzoberranzan. For the most part. But I suppose if something that took down a human boy with a predilection for torturing animals makes you fearful of your personal safety, you can stay and hold off the sodkillers while I'm gone."

Dariaza sighed at Jana's jaded attitude toward what they were about to do and what had recently happened to her. In the last few hours she had survived a drow death squad, seen her mother assassinated, and her House preparing for war. Then she had escaped to a city on another plane of existence with barely breathable air and unofficially ruled by an insane Lady of Pain. Since then, she had an impertinent male human threaten her and her friend with a sodkiller lynch mob, had been nearly devoured by a demon cat, and been told they were going to deliver the demon cat that wanted to kill her to some people her friend knew in the Abyss.

What was really depressing, she realized, this was actually one of her better days.


	5. Chapter 5

V.

The day passed with Jana asleep and Dariaza in elven reverie. Dariaza was interrupted only once by Taylor scratching at her door. She did not let him in and he eventually left to hunt drow elsewhere.

She selected her spells carefully. There was a hatred for wizards in the Abyss, for all the involuntary servitude demons endured at their hands, and the Abyssal Lords often sensed and retaliated for wizardry. And the Abyss itself often corrupted spells. She knew she had to choose her spells wisely.

She wouldn't dare alter her appearances in the Abyss, for example, for fear of unexpected--and permanent—results. But it wasn't all bad. One wizard in Sorcere said his Dancing Lights appeared as glowing spiders going up and down on webs in the Abyss. That sounded kinda cool. And ironically, destructive wizardry, being most like the innate magic practiced by most demons, was generally tolerated by the denizens and was least likely to cause backlash from the Abyss itself.

Jana would have an easier time of it. She didn't learn magic through books and discipline, but through intuition and inspiration. She was, in mage talk, a sorceress. Her spells were a part of her, and all she had to do was rest and meditate to recover them. One advantage sorcerers had is that they didn't need spellbooks, and another is that they could cast any spell they knew as long as they had the power left to do it. But a serious disadvantage is that their selection of spells was VERY limited.

_We make a good team, though_, she thought to herself. While Jana was skilled in making all kinds of magical items, she didn't know how to make spell scrolls. Since virtually every wizard learned to make scrolls when learning to make their spellbooks, Dariaza was able to help here. By loaning out scrolls with needed spells on them, Jana was able to expand what items she could create. And Jana had used enough of those scrolls to make items for Dariaza, too.

Lolth, she knew, would be most displeased.

But then there might already be drow hunting for her. If Quineth prevailed and survived, she'd want to cut out Dariaza's heart on the altar. Since House Griffonka was under divine mandate to eliminate House Morgendorffera, they were obligated to hunt her down and kill her, too. And then her guts twisted as she thought of Quineth turned into a horrific drider under the control of the Griffonka priestesses, being used to hunt her. She shook off the horrid thought, and was glad she'd dropped her house insignia on the streets of Sigil, where someone would've picked it up and sold it for its gold by now. If she were tracked that way, she pitied whoever had it by the time the drow caught up with it. She forced the thoughts out of her head and concentrated on her immediate future, and the spells she should choose.

After her preparations were complete, she went downstairs to meet Jana. Taylor was already in a sturdy familiar carrier, with the inside lever locked to prevent Taylor from letting himself out. Dariaza tried to see his glowing red eyes through the holes but stepped back as a black-armed paw with huge claws reached out of a hole at her. She pulled back.

"Don't be silly, Taylor," said Jana, "you just ate. Now calm down until we can get you somewhere safe."

"The Abyss is safe?" asked a stunned Dariaza.

"For Taylor, it's safer than Sigil," replied Jana. "I expect that's where he's originally from anyway, before he made it to Sigil somehow."

"So what's the plan?"

"Go talk to some of Trent's bleaknik friends over at the Gatehouse, and find out where Trent should be about now, given that times and schedules are less than predictable in the planes of chaos. Then take a portal to Azzagrat, drop Taylor off at his new home, then make our way to wherever Trent is. Then we find a spot for you to lay low. Or maybe go on over to the Bastion of Lost Hope in Carceri. The anarchists there have the most awesome experts on changing identities and appearances. But they'll probably want you to take part in some plot to overthrow a government or pay lots of jink or something, so it might be better to avoid them."

"Being in Carceri doesn't help," added Dariaza. Carceri was the plane of traitors and back stabbers.

Jana shrugged. "We'll figure out how to fly when we see what the winds are like. Come on."

To avoid any pursuit, they both drank an invisibility potion and took a dimension door out. Thanks to Daria's magical goggles and a bracelet worn by Jana, they were able to see each other, and a few other invisible beings around them. Sigil was as grimy as usual. There were some signs that maybe they were being followed, but they couldn't tell if they really were or were just being paranoid. There were plenty of others that could take to following a drow and alu-fiend for all kinds of reasons, having nothing to do with their current troubles. Such was the nature of Sigil. 

The smoke and cinders of the Lower Ward were worse than usual, and there were a surprising number of fiends out this night. It seemed like the perfect prelude to the Abyss. Suddenly, after the potions wore off and just before they reached the Gatehouse district, Dariaza saw drow and she quickly used her hair clip of alter self to appear as a human. "Jana," muttered Dariaza, "drow."

Jana quickly assessed the situation. "Do you think they're here for you?"

"Yes," Dariaza replied. "They have House Griffonka insignia. They're here for me."

"Are they tracking you somehow, or is it coincidence that they're here?"

"I don't know, but be ready for trouble."

"I always am, around drow," Jana replied casually.

Luckily, the drow kept going and the two friends let out a pent up breath. They were soon at the Brockside Rest Home, formerly run by the Bleakers. Unofficially, it still was. A Bleaker, who was feeding a human named DeMartino, told them that Trent should be playing at the Scaly Dog Inn in Windglum, Pandemonium. They thanked him and left.

And saw two drow of House Griffonka talking with Steve Taylor and a dozen sodkillers.

"This is bad," said Dariaza, turning and heading off in another direction.

"I don't know, maybe they'll kill each other," said Jana hopefully. She frowned as Taylor gave a yowl and hurried her pace. "We need to get Taylor to Azzagrat right away, though," she added. Around a corner and down a grimy street, she said, "Ok, the portal's here. Cast any spell you want on yourself now. Remember, once in the Abyss, new spells are cast only as a last resort until we leave. And don't use any polymorphing magic on yourself there!"

Dariaza didn't need the warning, she'd heard gruesome stories about the Abyss in the Sorcere, but she nodded thanks to her friend anyway. She cast a stoneskin spell on herself and put away the hair clip that allowed her to alter her features. Then Jana pulled a piece of charcoal out and walked into the mouth of an alley. They came out, a pub behind them in another city, and kept walking.

The first thing to strike Daria was the blue light. There was a blue sun off in the distance. It seemed to cool her somehow. There were a few lanterns, and they burned a blue and purple. Here, the flames radiated cold, cooling the heat of this realm.

Fiends surrounded her, but they seemed oddly civilized. She knew the demons here were jaded, avoiding the Blood War waged against the devils. Instead of sheer destruction, the fiends formed cruel alliances spiced with intermarriages and did their treachery behind a veneer of cosmopolitan politeness and style. She could see, looming over the city, the 66 ivory towers of the Argent Palace of the Abyssal Lord Graz'zt. Apparently they were in Zelatar, the capital of Azzagrat. And over there she saw the gaudy Counting House ruled over by a succubus, a haven of pleasure and discipline that also oversaw pacts with mortals and paid huge tributes to avoid the drafting of its citizens into the Blood War. Like much of the Abyss, there was little in the way of law other than the whims of the powerful over the weak, and it was dog-eat-dog. However, Azzagrat was unusual in that the demon Graz'zt entertained visitors from all over the planes related to his intrigues that was always seeking greater power and influence. As a result, his henchmen made the more common dangers less of a risk, but subtle dangers and treacher were even more common, and only savage lusts kept the fevered rage in check so that something approaching a civilization was possible. But only the Clueless would ever think they were safe here.

_In a plane as chaotic as the Abyss, I suppose anything is possible._ Keeping her wits about her, she kept up with Jana.

They passed many bizarre architectural styles made without seeming rhyme or reason. But Jana stopped before a huge iron gate that was lined with trees made of living vipers that seemed to whisper amongst themselves.

"Ah, Teifer Casa Lane," said Jana. "My family is much more successful here. Pity they're also a lot crueller. Let's keep this short." She touched the gate, which opened. "By the way, berk, that gate will burst forth will negative energy if you're not of my family's blood, so don't touch it if you can help it."

As they walked down a stone pathway, an arrow hit Dariaza and bounced off

"Hey!" she shouted, pulling her own hand crossbow. She saw a cherub statue with a bow run off.

"Stupid Archie," muttered Jana. "He's only supposed to shoot at uninvited guests, and he knows who I am." She shook her head. "Don't worry, he sees shooting you isn't any fun, he likely won't do it again." She looked up and added, "But watch out for Fred. Sometimes he spits acid even when he's not supposed to."

Dariaza looked up to see a spout that looked like some small, impish gargoyle dripping water. To get to the door without touching the red roses where she saw there was a dead tiefling, its blood drained--she was going to have to walk under it. Luckily, no acid came down.

A tiefling maid, skimpily dressed and sporting whip marks on her flesh, answered. Her eyes were completely black, and she had a tail that swished like an agitated cat's as she saw them. "Oh, it's you," she said to Jana casually, "with a drow. Come on in, then."

They entered, crossed the foyer, and were shown to a front room where several tieflings, alu-fiends, cambions, and even an incubus were gathered. The incubus didn't look have the forbidden beauty of a succubus, but beastly traits that made him—so obviously a him—look similar to a fiendish satyr. Long thin horns came out of his head, and his mouth was filled with needle-like teeth. Daraiza knew that whereas succubi (that were willing and able to take male form when it suited them) manifested their form from infatuations and obsessive lusts, the incubi manifested their form from violent sexual urges. Those without imagination considered the incubi far more dangerous due to the love of violence and rape that made up their being.

"Jana!" shouted the incubus, "How's my favorite niece!"

"Fine, Uncle Szandzi." Her voice sounded strained to Dariaza.

"How's your sister Penny?"

"I think she's disappointed in the markets in Limbo. She may try Pandemonium next."

He nodded. "And your brother Wind?"

"He's thinking about getting remarried if he can just figure out whether his last wives are still dead or not."

The incubus chuckled. "How about your sister Summer?"

"You know, the adventurers she hired found three out of her four kids."

"Really!" he sounded pleased. "And who's your friend?"

"This is Dariaza, a drow from Menzoberranzan."

"A spy for Lolth?" asked an agitated alu-fiend.

"Nope, left all that behind."

"Hmmm," replied the alu-fiend, "would there be a reward on her return then?"

"Nope," answered Jana. She quickly changed the subject. "But I'm having trouble with a neighboring berk with too much jink and sparkle." She put down the familiar carrier.

"Oh, what did you turn him into?" asked the incubus, with a bored smile on his face.

"No, no, he's still out there hiding behind his hired muscle and magic. He wants to kill my cat Taylor." She opened the carrier and the black cat leaped out, hair bristling, claws out, and yowled a screech that made Dariaza cover her ears.

The fiends began clapping.

"Marvelous cat!" said the incubus, who now show interested. "Why does this berk want to kill such a fabulous beastling? Is he some intolerant paladin going around putting everyone who disagrees with him in the deadbook?"

"Naa, his son tried killing Taylor. Taylor ate him."

"Well-done, kitty!" congratulated the incubus. "He can certainly stay here. We not only have had more problems with rats lately, but there are persistent rumors of wererats at work, too. We can always use another abyssal cat!"

"Glad to help," said Jana. 

"Will you and your friend be staying for awhile?" he asked, giving Dariaza a look that made them both uncomfortable.

"Nope, we got to catch up with Trent. He's got a gig in Pandemonium."

"Oh, yes. Trent," said an alu-fiend with a sour face. "The one who likes my hat."

"Yep, that's him," said Jana. "Anyway, I really wanted to get Taylor to a safe place before we go find Trent. Thanks and adios!"

The incubus walked them out back to the street, offering protection from enemies. Dariaza was glad to leave. The incubus had an allure of forbidden desire and danger that she resisted, but he also made her want to scrub herself down with the magical soaps used to wash off ichors.

"Where to now?" asked Dariaza, once they were alone again. Then she saw drow ahead. "Oops, let's walk another way."

Jana quickly adjusted. "Great, they followed us here. I'd say we go back to Uncle Szandzi, but the family would probably sell you out. For the Lord's hunt if not to your enemies. At least once Uncle Szandzi got bored with you."

Dariaza shuddered. And then stopped as a winged, imp-like entity made of ice, flew down in front of them.

The ice mephit nodded and eyed them sharply. "Greetings! I am the most favored mephit Cryoloatha, Blizzard Queen, slayer of fire wizards, demon of frosts and of the frigid waste! And I would be honored if you would accompany me to the Horn Dog!"

"Whatever, let's just keep going."

"Are there any other drow with you?" asked the ice mephit.

"No," replied Jana, "she's a lone drow."

"Well, come along then."

"So how much does this cost?" asked Jana.

The ice mephit spread his arms and said excitedly, "It costs NOTHING!"

Jana rolled her eyes but kept following. But she replied, "Now I'm wary!"

The ice mephit continued to lead them, a smile on his face of ice. "It costs nothing if you bring in new mortals here to do business in Zelatar, or more specifically, The Horn Dog. They want more customers. So if you bring new clients, they waive the cover charge. But you can expect to pay a lot for the drinks and fun."

"Oh, I get it," said Jana. "You bring us, and you get in free."

"You are most astute, cutter."

"Do I get in free?"

"Only if you can find another outsider."

"I see. So how much will I be charged?"

"10 gold or at least 1 outsider as a guest to get in."

"That's pretty steep," said Jana. "Why should I pay that much?"

"Lots of dancing, the most amazing acts! Excitement! Blood! Chaos! Live death matches between those who don't pay their tab and the yeth hounds in a pit, with gambling over how long the sod lasts! And the owner crossbreeds yeth hounds and howlers. Ask to pet one! Free of charge!"

"And a free dinner to his dog, no doubt," replied Jana cynically. "Are there a lot of people there?"

"Of course," said the mephit, "recruiting outsiders to the club has gotten it A LOT of business!"

"Hmmm... okay," said Jana. "I'll pay." She looked to Dariaza, "Plenty of people, noise, and chaos. Should be easy to wile away some time in."

Dariaza nodded. "And bet some unfortunate minders could get a knife in the back before they knew what happened, too."

"Just don't drink the Styxian ale or water," said Jana to Dariaza. "It can wipe all your memories and you'll be wondering who you are as you're sold as slave or food or game. Drow are particularly popular for fighting, though you're not a warrior so you likely wouldn't get hit with that. But drow are popular as masseuses and whores also."

Dariaza felt anger and reminded herself to be cautious. They were, after all, in the Abyss, no matter how much a civilized veneer could almost help you forget it.

She frowned as she saw a glabrezu, a 4-armed, dog-headed demon standing much taller than either of them, guarding the door. Dariaza had always hated them. A drow priestess had to call one forth and have sex with it before she graduated from Arach Tinilith. She knew Quineth had done it and it appalled her. Rarely, the drow priestess would give birth to a half-fiendish draegloth, an obvious cross between drow and glabrezu. Such conceptions were seen as a special blessing of Lolth. She was glad to get past the glabrezu after it briefly inspected them.

The Horn Dog was indeed a hot spot. Tanar'ri and tieflings were here in large numbers, but so too were humans, githzerai, half-orcs, goblins, bugbears, even a few dwarves, halflings, elves, and a half-drow (one that looked to Dariaza like a follower of Vhaerun). There was even a winged green hag with glowing orange eyes dancing wildly near a huge fireplace that was burning blue flames with purple tips. A few especially erotic alu-fiends and a cambion danced seductively in cages suspended from the ceiling, and levitating balls cast forth harmless prismatic sprays while surrounded by flaming skulls seeming to laugh silently. And the live music they and everyone else was dancing to seemed alien and mysterious, being made of alien percussions and what seemed to be channeled screams somehow transmuted into music.

Dariaza hated the noise, but noticed that Jana was beginning to nod to it. It definitely pulled to the planetouched. While she found it intriguing, it seemed much louder than necessary. "I can see why they want customers so bad," she said loudly enough to be heard over the din. "They'll lose more than they make unless they keep a full house."

"I expect," said Jana as they reached the bar, next to a human female and a horned male tiefling snorting some white powder off a mirror. "Two bloody whores," said Jana to the incubi barkeeper. "The drinks, not the real thing." Two mugs of pale rose red with bubbles in it (that Dariaza thought looked like shrieking heads just as the bubbles burst at the top) were handed to them, and Jana pushed some gold over.

Turning to find a table with a good view of the stage, she stopped momentarily as a tiefling tore into a human, the human defending himself with confidence. The shrieks of both as they vented their rage and pain could barely be heard over the cacophony, though a few near them cheered them on. _Ah, entertainment in the Abyss has gotten a little mild_, thought Jana mildly, while reminding herself that in the Abyss, anything--especially anything involving evil impulses--was the foundation of all social orders, even Azzagrat.

Going around the increasingly bloody fight and its spectators, she led her friend to one of the tables that glowed with phosphorus where they had a good view of the stage. There was a 4-alarm tiefling hottie wearing only leather pants. He had 6 fingers and toes, each with a claw, and small ram horns with silver tips protruding from his head and shock of thick, long brown hair. But what really drew Jana was his hairy, well-sculpted chest and abs that humans and elves would kill for. She hoped Dariaza, who never showed any real interest in this kind of fun, would lighten up and enjoy herself.

The other tieflings in the band, 2 males and a female, were also good eye candy. One male was a cat-eyed long-haired blond with tusks and finely sculpted muscles. The other had blue black hair down to his swishing tail, and was also finely sculpted. The female had violet hair and eyes and wore only an azure skirt. Her 3 breasts with violet nipples swayed as she did a slight dance while manipulating an instrument Jana wasn't familiar with.

In addition, two tiefling females that looked to be too young to be allowed into a bar on the more lawful planes--Jana couldn't tell if they were hired entertainment or patrons who wanted to show off--seemed to be trance dancing in the nude. The one in back was well-muscled with tribal tats and—other than 6 digits on her hand and feet and a tail—she looked human with features that were often called "Orientals." She held onto a blonde tiefling that was also close to human save for small horns and obvious fangs, and what appeared to be cat-like eyes when she opened them slightly. The larger one held onto the blonde with one arm around her waist as they swayed together, while her other arm reached around and grabbed her own tail that was poking between the thighs of the blonde, and doing things with it that the blonde was obviously enjoying immensely. Jana was amused. She'd have to try a sculpture of that.

While the band sang in Abyssal, which she and Dariaza both understood, the meanings, along with some emotional prodding, were telepathically projected outward so that anyone who had a language would be able to get the gist of it.

_Nihilistic mystics  
Apostolic alcoholics  
Messianic manics  
Cataclysmic and prolific_

In the age of super-boredom  
Hype and mediocrity  
Celebrate relentlessness  
Menace to society

Refuse is our inspiration  
Terrorism our trade  
Sabotage and piracy  
Chaos our mental state

Mesmerizing festering  
Intended for the faint of heart  
Cultish and anthemic  
Until death do us part

Like a fiendish tropic virus  
Spitting bile at all you whores  
Razor-sharp tongue-in-cheek  
Poking in your open sores

A wolf in sheep's clothing  
The ultimate disgrace  
Wrapped up as a gift of god  
Exploding in your face

This is counter culture from the underground  
Eternal revolution this is our sound...

Dariaza interrupted Jana's enjoyment with a touch. "Did you notice that some of the tanar'ri here were some of the same fiends we saw in the Lower Ward earlier today?"

Jana smirked. "No, I was too busy lusting over the hotties on the stage."

"I'm wondering if they were trying to find customers to bring here like that mephit, or if it's just coincidence."

"Dariaza, have you ever heard the expression, 'eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die'?"

"No," replied Dariaza matter-of-factly, "but it sounds like something a drow male would say."

Jana sighed and said, "Oh shut up and drink your bloody whore."

"What's a bloody whore?" asked Dariaza, sounding bored and still watching the door rather than the stage.

"Peach and vampire roses steeped in slaad sweat and alcohol," said Jana, sighing for her friend. "The Sensates love it." Jana took a sip and then frowned. "Looks like the ice mephit is being sent out again."

"Do you think there's a bounty on us and this is a trap?" At last she took a sip, just before grimacing.

"I don't know. Mephits are annoying. Maybe every time the mephit makes it back in, its master comes up with a new task for it to get rid of it for awhile. Or maybe it's just out getting new customers." She shrugged and added, "What's weird is that they're usually used to keep a room cool, or as a messenger with the connotation that an enemy is not welcome in the mephit master's home. It's just odd. But that's the Abyss for you." _Not to mention cold and heat are really weird here._

They were halfway through with their drinks, talking about which was the best way to get to the Scaly Dog Inn, when the ice mephit returned. A long with Steve Taylor and 12 minders, including the ones with wands and a staff. With them were 10 drow, including a wizard and a high priestess. They threaded their way through the dancing crowd and came directly to them.

"I'm going to KILL that mephit," muttered Jana darkly. Dariaza simply nodded her agreement.

"There you are," said Steve Taylor in good spirits. "One of my agents saw you slip out with the cat. So where's the cat now?"

"Where you'll never find him," replied Jana darkly.

He sneered and stared at his well-manicured nails. "Then I'll have to get what satisfaction I can from you, won't I?"

"Bringing in private guards into the capital of Azzagrat to enforce your will isn't the best way to stay in Graz'zt's good graces."

He dismissed that with, "As long as we don't threaten the lord of this layer, he doesn't care what we do. And in this land of evil anarchy, no one is going to mess with someone who has the force and organization to have their way. There are easier pickings elsewhere. Now, are you going to come and die oh so slowly, or will you resist and die even slower, starting with your torture amusing the patrons of this festhole?"

The Griffonka drow seemed more nervous but said nothing, measuring the alu-fiend and Dariaza, Steve Taylor and his hired muscle, and the club itself. At least one drow male found the stage as interesting as Jana did.

"You'll need to fight it out with the drow, who also have a claim on us."

"Oh, please," went Steve, "we've already talked. They're here for the renegade drow. They have a horrible enough punishment waiting for her, so I am content to let them take her. We're here for YOU."

The music was building up, and Dariaza realized that the doors were now shut, making the music louder. But the music was also picking up, becoming more frantic. The 2 naked tiefling teems were now facing each other, kissing and clawing each other enough to draw blood, and taking time to lap up the blood as their excitement built up. Three humans were offering the glabrezu bouncer money but the demon ignored them. While her situation was bad enough, she had a bad feeling about this and poked Jana with a finger.

"What!?"

"The door."

Jana looked, and so did a few humans and drow. It was a curious sight that seemed vaguely disturbing, but no one thought it important. Except Jana who gasped. Dariaza looked to see what she was looking at and saw the demonic hag throwing small bags into the fireplace. Whatever was burning made the flames turn green and violet, and an increasingly thick maroon cloud began pouring out. The hag had a few more bags in one arm and she continued to feed one in every few seconds.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!" shrieked Jana in a way that bespoke of despair. Given their present situation, she didn't like how this situation struck Jana as a Very Bad Thing.

"Beg if you like," sneered Steve, "but you're coming with us."

Jana grabbed Dariaza. "You got to leave, and leave NOW! Dimension Door, ANYTHING! JUST GET OUT!" She was near tears.

The drow all pulled hand crossbows, except for one that pulled a wand, and a priestess that pulled a whip of live snakes. "You are going nowhere," said the priestess.

"Dariaza, RUN!" shouted Jana. "And if you don't make it... please don't let it be ME that kills you!"

Dariaza wasn't sure what was going on, but Jana obviously thought that maroon mist that was seeping all over the club and passing them now was the biggest threat. None of the dancers seemed to be dying of it yet. The faces of some tieflings and all the fiends shown with a mania and their dancing took on a wild, primal rhythm and they began to shout. The others in the club didn't seem to notice any effects at all, but a few were becoming uncomfortable by the rising excitement of the fiends. Dariaza smelled the maroon gas and it did make her feel slightly buzzed while smelling slightly like blood, but nothing to explain why the fiends were going crazy.

"Something's wrong, let us seize her and leave this place!" shouted the drow priestess.

Jana shrieked in a voice that sounded truly demonic for the first time to Dariaza. "THIS IS A DEPRAVE AND THE CLUB IS FULL OF DEPRAVERS! JUST GO!!!"

Then a giant snake with the upper body of a human woman and 6 arms went to her full height and roared, and with her, all the tanar'ri began to roar in deafening tones, including the half-fiends and a few tieflings. Including Jana. Like the others, her roar was inhuman and terrifying. Then the snake-woman demon lunged and picked up a human already bleeding from bite marks and ripped out his throat with her teeth, her claws digging into the body and also drawing blood.

"GET HER NOW!" shrieked the priestess. Just as several frog-headed demons and giant vultures grabbed some of the drow and began to devour them, their eyes crazed and wild. The drow dropped their hand crossbows and pulled their swords, some that shed a small amount of light. The priestess and drow wizard were now using their magic on the demons attacking. The sodkillers were also defending themselves, but it was obvious they were even less prepared than the drow for this sudden turn of events. One of their own tieflings was also taken with the madness and attacked a tiefling that wasn't taken by the madness.

Jana leaped, her wings extended, and seized Taylor, shrieking in a voice that spoke a mix of excitement and despair. As she flew up with Steve, she laughed as tears streamed down her face dragging him screaming up to the ceiling. And then tore a chunk off of his face. An alu-fiend that had been cage dancing until moments ago joined in the eating of Steve Taylor. But his minders were too busy trying to stay alive themselves from the ravenous fiends to defend him.

The deafening shrieking and roaring of the fiends and some tieflings, along with the screams of terror of everyone else, replaced the now stilled club music. The tiefling band and lesbians were now among the crowd, biting and devouring any victim they could find. Several small abbysal imps known as quasits suddenly surged out from behind the bar and also began diving into the crowd, 3 attacking Dariaza. Her stoneskin kept them from wounding her, but it wouldn't hold for long.

Dariaza, filled with more horror than she ever recalled having had, threw out several globes that hit the closest demons and wrapped them in tentacles. The tentacles had a dimensional anchor cast into them, but unlike the tentacles, the demons had a chance for their spell resistance to counter them. Sure enough, two tentacles fell harmlessly to the floor as the demons teleported out of them. One teleported right by the drow next to her and bit him before tossing his screaming form into the air, where a vulture demon grabbed it and took off another chunk before dropping him to the bloodied snake woman that bit into his neck as she ripped off his arm and tossed it to another waiting fiend that caught it in its already bloody maw.

A drow male, flinging aside a quasit, grabbed Dariaza and head butted her. He was chagrined to find she already had a stoneskin spell in place. Then Jana fell down, feasting on a dead Steve Taylor, her wings still extended. Then she turned her face covered in gore to Dariaza and the drow trying to hold her and shrieked again. Dariaza knew terror as she realized her friend Jana was consumned by her demonic tanar'ri side. Luckily, she attacked the drow grappling her, but she couldn't tell if that was because any part of her friend was left or simply because he was closer than she was. She remembered her friend begging to please not allow her to be the one to kill her.

She cast the dimension door, careless the quasits trying to gnaw through her stoneskin spell, and jumped. Just as she jumped, she heard Jana shrieking a demonic cry as she attacked a human that was apparently trying for the dimension door, too.

The sensation jumping through the door was unusually jarring and she had to fight not to pass out. There was a green flame that burned her as she made the jump, one that hurt, even with her stoneskin spell in place. She flung a quasit aside as she came out of the other side and it shrieked as something bit into it.

Quickly assessing where she was, she saw she was much further away than a dimensional door should've taken her. There was no blue sun, but instead were a bunch of mists that she could barely see through. She was able to see that the quasit she flung was now being eaten, the last of its wing swallowed, by a viper. It was a viper tree like the ones surrounding the compound of Jana's relatives.

She backed away in horror and was bit by another viper. The stoneskin stopped its fangs from penetrating, but she still screamed and jumped. Another of the quasits trying to bite and claw her was taken off of her by another striking viper. Another quasit flew and was taken by another viper. Then she saw 4 bloody drow and a blonde alu-fiend, formerly a cage dancer now covered in the blood of her victims, appear through their own dimensional door.

Dariaza ran through the strange, misty forest of living viper trees, being bitten and seeing some vipers break off the tree and come after her. The shrieks of the drow followed her as she continued to be bitten. The strange mists soon dampened even the sounds of drow shrieks.

Alone and breathing hard, she mentally kicked herself for forgetting what every novice learned in the first year at Sorcere, if not before: in the Abyss, there are no safe places. Death is always an inch away. She continued to run from death, hoping her stoneskin would last long enough to escape this grove of viper trees. She ran from death in a blind panic, alone, lost, and stranded in the Abyss, hunted by drow and vipers. She desperately hoped her stoneskin spell would hold, at least for a little longer.

Dariaza didn't know how long it was before she began to calm down and think straight again. She just began to calm down as she came to a river of dark, sluggish water. Breathing heavily, she realized she felt thirsty but pulled her own water instead, not trusting that.

Then she remembered something she had learned about the lower planes. There was a type of greedy yugoloth (_Now there's a redundant phrase_ she thought to herself) called a marraenoloth that were the most neutral and separated from lower planar politics. Skeletal fiends, they carted people from one plane to the next over the River Styx in exchange for gold and gems. Walking along the river edge, she pulled out an emerald and began tossing it up and catching it. She stepped around a few unusually sluggish viper trees at the bank, sleepy from the river water, while keeping an eye peeled for predators.

She still didn't know what happened back at the club except that some maroon gas had made her friend and all the fiends insane. She hoped it was temporary and that Jana survived the "deprave," whatever that was. She figured it was a safe bet that they had been trying to get enough mortals and non-fiends, such as herself, in there until some critical mass was reached. _They must've thought they hit the jackpot when Steve Taylor and his minders, along with the drow party, entered all at once._.

She wasn't sure how long she had been playing with the emerald before she heard a ripple and she turned, prepared for a new threat. But her hope was rekindled as she saw the marraenoloth. It appeared robed with grey, with its desiccated hands and skull-like face showing, poling a light boat through the waters.

She took a running leap and used her innate levitation to leap out to the skiff. The marraenoloth held out its bony hand and Dariaza gave it her emerald. "To Windglum in Pandemonium," she said. She'd have to get to Trent and go back for Jana later.

The emerald vanished, and then it held out its hand again. She understood that it knew she was in real trouble and that it was going to gouge her. She sighed, and gave it 2 blood rubies, which severely cut back on her finances. The fiend took them and began poling again. She sat in the skiff with the fiendish boatsman guiding the skiff down the River Styx. To her relief, she was quickly surrounded by mists and then the boat came out into a desert scene with a huge red sun baking the land. _The Plain of Infinite Portals_, she realized. Far from Graz'zt's realm. _And Jana_, she thought in fear and concern.

And then a sandstorm blew by and Dariaza covered her face. She wasn't sure when it stopped, but at some point she realized that the light wasn't hurting her eyes anymore. She opened them to find herself underground, with a wind shrieking that was harder on her ears than the light had been on her eyes. _Pandemonium_, she realized, _Where the winds can drive a person mad._ At least most seem to recover fast enough when they got out (only to instantly revert back to madness when they returned), but it was said the madness never left some.

She didn't like what she saw, either. In one cavern, wolf-like monsters were running on all surfaces, surrounding some shrieking goblins. Pandemonium had situational gravity. Wherever your feet were was down for you. Anyone could run up the wall and start walking on the ceiling, which became the floor to that person then. In such a situation, who knew which was SUPPOSED to be the roof and the floor? It would also make levitation a lot less useful here for evasion. But the shriek of the wind, and the occasional pebble that hit her (and stung, she noted, meaning her stoneskin spell had been used up or expired), was a lot more annoying.

Then the skiff plied by the marraenoloth ran up on some ice. He pointed down the tunnel and she understood Windglum was supposed to be there. "Jana didn't mention anything about it being cold," she said aloud, without realizing she had spoken out loud. She got the impression the creature really wanted her off. So she got off and pointed down the tunnel, saying, "So if I go down here, I'll come to Windglum?"

She heard raspy laughter in her mind. "I LIED! Now you're alone, lost, stranded, and soon to be hunted in Pandemomium, and your friends shall never find a trace of you!" Then the marraenoloth and its skiff vanished, leaving the drow alone, shrieking her rage. She quickly quieted herself, hoping the wind covered the sounds of her shrieking. Sighing and shivering, with growing despair, she began walking down the tunnel. To what doom, she did not know.


	6. Chapter 6

VI.

The howlers had been calling for Dariaza for hours. She knew they were just trying to break down her will before whichever foul lady of the hunt made her attack. Vampires and succubi liked howlers for this reason, making others more vulnerable with their will-draining howls, to their innate powers of charm and domination, though quasits and fiendish orcs sometimes also used them.

And now, invisible and paranoid, she watched as yeth hounds surrounded two red, frog-like slaad, each bigger than herself. One had been gated in, only to keep the first one company during destruction by all appearances. The hounds bayed, circling closer in and in. They were taunting the slaad before destroying them. Showing Dariaza what they intended to do to her. She should use her magic to destroy them now. 

No, they had a master they answered to, she was sure of it. The same one that blasted her with the wind that lifted her off her feet and smashed her against a wall, leaving her dazed for she did not know how long. The one that buffeted her with stinging pebbles after that, too. That was her real enemy, who wanted to tear down her will and get her to expend her strength before striking. In magical silence, she walked on, glad that the yeth hounds were too distracted by the winds and the slaad to catch her scent.

But who was her enemy? Jana? Jana was her friend. _Drow don't have friends_, she reminded herself, _because every friend is a fang of Lolth, waiting for you to let your guard down._ She shook her head, thinking, _No, not Jana. Just before she turned she begged me to leave._ Surely, the maroon mist would wear off and all that would be left was a hangover.

_Unless the change is permanent, like that of a drow into a drider_, said Matron Helensha's voice cruelly in her mind. _Hello, daughter._

"Matron mother?" whispered Dariaza, "what are you doing here?" 

_Hunting you. I will feast on your soul._

"The hounds belong to you?"

_The hounds, the howlers, yes they all belong to me. As do you._

"No, Matron Mother, I reject you. And you're dead."

_Foolish child, even death is but a punishing test of Lolth. I shall hunt you, I shall slay you, and then I will become a yochlol, a revered handmaiden of Lolth._ As several howlers howled again off in distant caverns, she added, _Hear my loyal hounds, treacherous daughter?_

"Jana..." muttered Dariaza.

_She is dead to you. They collect mortals for the feasts, you know. Because if they don't, they'll turn on each other. So they get enough to go through the mortals and then only the weakest of each other. I'm sure Jana was one of them._

"No, she's clever and capable."

_She's weak and merciful. She placed herself at risk for a mere fiendish cat. She even did so for one such as you, even after the cat warned her you were death or worse to her. You are the soft spot in her back in which a tanar'ri or drider will drive its blade before devouring her alive._

"NO!" She quickly quieted her voice. "No, she's a survivor. She practically raised herself."

_Even if she did, she's permanently insane. Don't you know the change is permanent?_

"No, she was just intoxicated."

_She's as insane as any drider for defying the will of Lolth. As you soon will be._

"Leave me alone!"

_Do you remember your Chwidridera?_

The test of the drider. She recalled it well. Like most drow faced with this, she had been hit with the terror that every spider intended to sink its poisonous fangs into her, and that there was a mass of spiders inside of her eating her alive. She had almost fled the city, which would've led to her being transformed into a drider. But she had conquered her fears and passed the test.

_Did you?_

"Of course I did," she replied.

_Don't you remember that driders often go insane?_

"With hatred, yes," replied Dariaza logically.

Matron Helensha laughed mockingly in her mind. _No, they can't handle the transformation. Only the will of Lolth allows them to plague her children, to remind us all of the penalty for defying Lolth!_

"Why are you telling me this?"

_I'm trying to get you to realize that you failed the test. That you ARE a drider. And it is you who ate your friend, when she tried to save her adopted brother Trent from your poisonous fangs._

"No, that's crazy," muttered Dariaza, feeling herself close to tears.

_Is it?_ asked Matron Helensha, _Or is it crazy to believe that you're waltzing along in the tunnels of Pandemonium after a ride on a boat piloted by a fiend rather than the outskirts of Menzoberranzan, in the insane search of two half-fiends that already died at your mandibles?_

"Shut up."

_You dare talk to your matron mother that way? Of course you would. That's why you're a drider. Can't you still feel the spiders eating you from within?_

And she did. Her entire skin was crawling with them under her skin. She had to claw her skin to bloody shreds, get them out.

_What's the point? They're already bursting out of your skin and crawling out of your mouth as you think of it Can't you feel the black widow in your heart?_

She shrieked then. Over and over again, until her throat was sore. Breathing hard she got up and ran, gibbering and crying. She'd plead for forgiveness from Lolth, but she knew Lolth was without mercy. "Selune, help me! Mystra, aid me! Freya show me the way! Eilistraee, show me the dance! Don't let me be a drider! Don't let me kill my own friends!"

_Your friends are dead and your gods are false!_ shrieked Matron Helensha. _What pretty fangs you have. Do you enjoy eating bats? The way you ate Blood Maw when you transformed?_

Giving another shriek, she collapsed, sobbing and helpless.

_That's it, I almost have you._

She didn't care. Death would be a mercy. She would kill herself, but she was too confused to do anything but cover her ears and sob. Over her sobs she heard the approach of the howlers and yeth hounds, the hiss of Matron Helensha's whip of live snakes, and the spiders singing within her body as they feasted.

And then she stopped. Realizing she wasn't dead, or even being attacked, she looked about the shrieking cavern. She was alone. Where had Matron Helensha gone? _She's dead_, she reminded herself. _So how was it she was here?_. A few tears still falling down her face, she realized, _Because she's the darkness that exists in your soul still. The winds summoned her from your mind, not her actual spirit._

Did she dare believe that?

She stood up. She walked, reveling in the sensation of that she did so on 2 legs instead of 8. She did not kill her friends. She stopped a moment as she realized she HAD killed Blood Maw, her bat familiar, at the command of Lolth. How is it she could've killed Blood Maw, but not Trent and Jana? _Because there's darkness in every light, and light in every darkness._ "Of course," she said aloud, and laughed.

Matron Helensha's voice was angry as she asked, _Do you still deny that you're a drider? Do you still deny...yourself?_

Dariaza laughed at her. "I'm not a drider," she said out loud, "I walk on two legs! Hey, can a drider do this?" She began to skip and dance. She spun, dancing in nedeirra, the dancing contests of the drow.

_Who are you dancing against, fool?_, sneered Matron Helensha.

"You," she said aloud, and laughed. The dancing proved she wasn't a drider. And she realized something. While she wasn't anywhere as good a dancer as most other drow, she now danced with something those other drow did not: Joy.

She was not a drider: the joy proved it even more than the dancing. Trent and Jana were still alive waiting to be reunited with her. Her matron mother was dead and she was far from Menzoberranzan. "I survived a century among the drow of Lolth," she reasoned, "so why can't I survive a couple of days in Hell?" By Eilistraee, she was a light in Hell, and her dancing was an acknowledgment of the love that served as a light in her tortured soul.

_Such blasphemy_, said Matron Helensha.

"Such beauty," replied Dariaza, and she leaped in levitation, graceful in a way she never knew she could show. She descended like a spider, not to feast, but to spin her web. "I am the weaver of my own fate," she danced. The howling winds assaulted her sensitive elven ears, but still she danced, a light in the howling darkness of Hell. And she would shine on her friends again.


	7. Chapter 7

VII.

VII.

Dariaza didn't know how long she had been traveling. She had eaten a few times; her food was low enough that she did so sparingly now. Her endure elements, the spell that allowed her to resist the cold, had just expired. About the only protection she had now was her magical goggles that would help reveal invisibility and, more importantly, keep flying pebbles out of her eyes. The wind made it impossible to enter reverie restfully or to memorize new spells. She was going to have to find some outpost of civilization, and find it soon, if she were to find the means to escape this place. At least she needed to find some shelter from the wind long enough to enter reverie and restore her spells.

Her memory was playing tricks, too. She'd left some marks to make sure she wasn't walking in circles, but she sometimes couldn't find the marks in places she was sure she had been before, and other times she found them in areas she knew she hadn't seen yet. _Given the situational gravity_, she thought morosely, _I could've been walking on the ceiling the first time I passed._

Still, her hopes remained high until the blizzard hit. _Blizzard!_ she thought in panic and irritation, _How do blizzards happen Below?!_ The cold wind that bit into her painfully was bad enough, but wondering if this was just another delusion scared her even more. Even worse, she thought she heard a yell of sheer rage, though she couldn't tell what direction it came from. Worse still, she was soon lost in the blizzard, unable to see more than a few feet in front of her. Neither her goggles nor her darkvision could pierce this furious storm. She felt so turned around, she didn't know which way to walk. Or even if she should, since maybe it would pass her more quickly if she stood still.

Then the baying began. Pulling her wand of fireballs out, she hurried on, vainly trying to see through the whirling, freezing snow. She knew it was yeth hounds, for she felt her spell resistance working against a vague fear effect. While she remained untouched by the magical fear, she knew this was bad because that meant they knew she was there. 

She turned and shouted, "Inflammaro!" The hound that had been leaping at her was blasted away, its fur scorched. Momentary relief was replaced by panic as she briefly saw its scorched corpse land among other hounds staring at her evilly. In that brief moment, she saw them turn to sniff at the hound she just killed, and she released another fireball with a repeated, "Inflammaro!"

She turned and ran, holding the wand tight in her freezing hands. She heard growls and baying and knew others were chasing her. She had to admit, even with her new positive attitude, that she was starting to wear down. And then she found her light in the darkness when she saw what appeared to be a log building ahead. _A light in every dark!_

She ran towards it, but reminded herself, _A dark in every light!_. Perhaps whoever or whatever resided there was the mistress of these hounds, and no friend to her. But even if anything inside meant her evil, perhaps she could hide from it or defeat it and use it for sanctuary in replenishing her spells. And maybe find some food and a way out of her predicament, too.

Yet the building seemed to remain distant as she ran for it. And then she could actually hear the heavy breathing of a hound behind her. Turning, she got off her spell bolts. It fell. But she saw 2 more about to take its place and she quickly cast another spell, one that would double her speed. She knew it wouldn't last long, but it should help her get to the possible sanctuary.

Taking off, she lost and regained sight of it more than once. The hounds seem to fall behind, though she could still hear their baying. As she came much closer, she realized why the building had seemed to not come closer. It was huge. A dwelling for giants. _Time to be a quiet spider_, she thought, _and find a crack to squeeze into. And watch out for other spiders._ But the sound of the baying hounds reminded her she had to be as fast as she was quiet.

The door was too big for her to manipulate manually. Taking only a single breath, she cast her knock spell. It opened slightly and she ran in. Struggling, she shut it just before a loud thump hit it. She jumped back and whirled around to see where she now was, grateful that her magical goggles hadn't frosted over or steamed up in the suddenly warmer air.

She was in a huge foyer. While she could hear the baying of frustrated hounds outside in the howling blizzard, the noise dully muted by the thick door, inside she could hear several snores. Very loud snores.

She quietly snuck around, glad that her spell that speeded her actions was still in effect, though she knew it would end at any moment. She was dismayed to come into a huge chamber with many sleeping dogs, wolves, yeth hounds, and worse. Then she realized that they weren't the only ones sleeping. So were several giants. They looked to be hill giants, who were usually stupid enough to trick, but there were also some stone giants, too. She backed away in momentary panic when her stomach rumbled at the smells of roasted meats and beer. She put away her wand, preparing to get past this obstacle.

Then quick and quiet as a mouse, she ran through the room of giants and sleeping canines. She stopped momentarily, preparing to duck, when one yeth hound yawned, but it laid its head back down and returned to sleep. It appeared to be old to her, but she didn't want to take any chances and gave it a wide berth, though it effectively doubled her time in getting through the room, putting her uncomfortably close to a snoring giant's leg for a brief, scary moment.

Then she was passed the room and headed down a hall. She ducked into a lit room where the smells of food were particularly strong. Most of the food counters were out of her reach, though it wouldn't be a problem for her. Seeing no one, she jumped up on a counterside and found the situational gravity did allow her to walk up the incline. She got into some roast meat and gladly took a huge bite.

A gasp made her freeze in mid-bite. She looked down to see an old human, mug of ale in his hand, standing on the floor, looking up at her. Glaring at her accusingly, he whispered loudly (to the drow's ear), "I **knew** it! The first chance in weeks I get to take a load off my feet for a bit and something's gotta come along and ruin it." As Dariaza pulled her wand of polymorph, he added, "**Don't** wake up the giants or they'll kill you for sure! And they'll make me get back to work."

"We seem to have reached an impasse," said Dariaza very quietly, but loud enough, she hoped, for the human to hear. "Can you help me get out of here? I **have** to get to Windglum. Or out of Pandemonium."

The old man sighed. "There are some other servants who know the way to Yggdrasil. And you can find some food and heavier clothes. But you must leave very soon before the giants wake up, or before..." The man gulped. "Before the Master returns."

Dariaza decided this man was a light in the darkness. Taking one final bite, she walked back down and up to the human, who seemed strangely unafraid of her. "Take me to the guide," she commanded. She hadn't meant to sound imperious, it was just a habit of how she talked to humans.

But it seemed the human was used to being talked to that way. He nodded and motioned for her to follow as he left. "They're here in the servant's quarters."

In another room, just as big as the room with the sleeping giants, were much smaller pieces of furniture, including a table with some bits of food and beer left on it. Several normal sized folk quickly came in and Dariaza prepared for an ambush. She was most disconcerted by the presence of dwarves and faery elves, but she noticed 2 drow, as well, and they seemed to accept such strange and foreboding company. In fact, most of them seemed more curious than hostile. _I suppose there are even shining lights among dwarves and faery elves_, she told herself. A few were asleep, but most woke up quickly enough and joined in.

"Who are you?" asked the drow female. "You don't seem to be a prisoner."

"I'm not," she replied. "I'm Dariaza, of Casa Lane, Sigil, and I am a light in the howling darkness of Hell."

"What, 'yer barmy?" asked a dwarf in a sour tone.

"Of course she's barmy," replied a stout halfling at his side. "She's in Pandemonium. We're all a little barmy."

"Shut yer face," grumbled the dwarf, crossing his arms. "Yer all barmy. But my constitution has left me with my sanity intact. All I needs is me axe, and the einheriar will rally to my side and smite the giants for the glory of Nidavellir. The rest of ye can cross yer eyes and play with yer lips."

"How did you get in?" asked the drow female.

"Knock spell," she said. 

"Ah, elementary," said a surface gnome. "I know that one myself."

The wood elf asked, "How did you get past the hounds?"

"Outside, I ran. The blizzard made it hard to see, and smell anything, that wasn't right in front of you. The wand of fireballs helped."

The drow nodded. "Blizzard then. The yeth hounds can run on the wind, and as swiftly, but they won't during the blizzards. They smash their skulls against the ever present walls when they try."

"You still have more fireballs?" asked the drow male, with an odd boldness that struck Dariaza as strange.

"Yes, and other wands besides: Polymorphing, Dispelling, and others. I still have some spells memorized, but I could use the time to rest and rememorize many of them."

"No," said the drow female. "The Master will be back before too much longer. Right now he and the Mistress of the Hunt are gone, but when they return, the Hall will come alive again, and we will have lost our opportunity."

"Maybe it's a bad idea," said the halfling, "going out while the Huntress is out, and the Master in a bad mood."

"Don't worry," replied the gnome, "since the new drow made it in, I'd say the Master and Mistress are distracted. With each other."

"Yes, we should run, now," said the drow female. "The Master and Mistress are gone and distracted, the giants are asleep, there's a blizzard that hampers even yeth hounds outside. We may not get another chance like this."

"I don't know," said another dwarf. "How do we know we can trust this drow. Maybe she's a spider worshipper, or with one of them other evil gods."

"She does not stink of evil," replied the drow female.

"Yer barmy, drow," returned the dwarf.

"Some of our gear that was taken from us is in a locked room," said a moon elf female. "Can you get it for us?" Dariaza was intrigued by the faery woman, who was almost like a mirror image in opposite colors. In the firelight, her skin was almost translucent in its paleness, with a tinge of blue in it and in her midnight sky black hair. Golden flecks shone in her deep blue eyes.

"If we're running, I can get it," said the halfling.

"As can I," added the gnome. "And being that the Master is a power of trickery and thieves, our skills are likely to be enhanced even more."

"Naaa," said another dwarf, "you're not more stealthy, it's just that everyone around you is more drunk."

"Hey," the gnome asked Dariaza, "I can make a magic mouth to delay them, if you make a long lasting figment of us sleeping?" When Dariaza nodded, he laughed until a dwarf slapped a hand over his mouth. 

"Okay," said the drow female, "let's get what we can and leave this place, before the Master is no longer distracted."


	8. Chapter 8

VII.

VIII. 

VIII

A few minutes later, they managed to make it out a side passage. There were no immediate yeth hounds or other danger.

Dariaza grimaced, knowing the giants would be up in arms if they woke up in the next few minutes and discovered the persistent image spell she'd left, of the servants sleeping soundly. Even if her spell expired before it was discovered, the magic mouth the gnome had left behind had some creative insults regarding their parentage and how much goblin offal they were made out of that it would utter the moment a giant asked, "Where did they go?" That would no doubt inspire an instant hunting party.

While they were gathering supplies, Dariaza learned that all of them had been abducted from various places, civilized and otherwise, in Ysgard. Anyone who, like herself, had wandered in by mistake were assumed to be "spies of the Aesir" and tortured to death. The moon elf was a planar wanderer who had been in Alfheim when she was abducted, along with the other elves. They had all lost family and friends when the giants took them, and others had died once they were prisoners here. All the survivors had gone a little barmy from the howling winds. Dariaza understood that part. Now they just wanted to get back to their own lands.

Most of them weren't going to be much use in a fight against a band of giants. The prisoners had been able to find only bits of gear and a few weapons. Even so, they had all formed a bond and none of them was willing to abandon the others. Dariaza couldn't help but admire how such disparate races had banded together without cruel domination. The 2 drow were siblings, Tebryn and Glannath Vrinn, who loved each other. Dariaza found herself fascinated with the male who did not cower before females and found it made him more intriguing, even more desirable, than any drow male she had ever met before.

Despite the desperate desire to return home as quickly as possible, no one would leave the others behind. So when some agreed to escort Dariaza to Windglum, they all agreed. Dariaza was touched by this. Whether they did so because of the barmy winds or because of some sense of honor and compassion that she had rarely experienced, she wasn't sure. But she would be their light for as long as they were with her. Even the dwarves and faery elves.

But first, they had to navigate the howling blizzard to find Yggdrasil, hopefully before something--especially the dreaded Master or Mistress--found them. Luckily, Artin Gorunn was a dwarven ranger and able to help keep them walking in a straight line. Unfortunately, the humans were near blind and she had to cast a light on a sword for them to see by. But maybe the blizzard would keep the light from being too visible, though Dariaza doubted it.

It seemed to be going good, but the male drow Tebryn halted them. "I believe Yggrasil is that way," he told the grumbling dwarf, "but there is a line of winter wolves that way."

Artin nodded, frost flaking his eyebrows and beard. "They're guarding the borders. Probably they'll try to flush us toward the Hunt Mistress once they detect us."

"How many are there?" asked Aramil, the wood elf.

"Five," replied Dariaza, studying them through her magical goggles. "At least that's how many I see. They do seem to be a single pack that is guarding something." She hoped it wasn't a Hunt Mistress they were guarding.

They prepared themselves for the charge, and then Dariaza pulled her wand of fireballs. When hit just right, a fireball would kill one or more of them, as they were particularly vulnerable to its heat. "Inflammaro," she whispered.

The fireball hit, and a winter wolf went down with a yip and stayed down. A mere moment later, the winter wolves were charging them. Dariaza got another one, wounding a third in the process, before they were onto them. Plenty attacked, though one elf hung back using the one bow they were able to salvage (and she shot true, despite the wind, Dariaza noted). But Dariaza knew that these wolves were beyond the capabilities of some of their party to endure at all, and was determined to take them down as fast as she could, without hurting the other warriors. She cast burning hands at another winter wolf. It turned on her, but the dwarves and humans quickly took it down.

Unfortunately, most of her spells were to deal with tanar'ri, and so she didn't have anymore fire spells. The fireballs were too likely to take down those engaged in fighting with them. So she'd have to work with what she had. She began casting a sonic orb, when one of the wounded wolves leaped at her, blowing forth a blast of cold air that ruined the spell with its punishing cold as it hit her. Before she could recover, it had bitten her, shaking her viciously before tossing her aside.

Then the other wolf, though wounded, was attacking her. This time she managed to dodge most of the cold breath, but she was still further injured. She pulled her wand of magic missiles and let forth a barrage of spell bolts. It yipped, and then Dariaza saw that Tebryn and the moon elf Silaqui were on the beast, expertly using the crude swords they had managed to acquire. The swords were sufficient to dispatch the beast, and they both rolled off as it fell.

"Are you injured?" asked Tebryn of Silaqui, which both amazed Dariaza and even made her feel slightly jealous. _Easy, Dariaza, you just met these people_, she told herself. 

Silaqui was instantly on her feet. "I'm fine. Check the wizard, I think she's hurt!"

Dariaza sighed. How had she ever managed to hate the faery? Did the winds make her like the faery now or make her think she had hated her before? "I'm f-f-fine," chattered Dariaza. She wasn't, really, but she was functional and would heal with some real rest or healing magic.

The other wolf was down, and nothing else moved to attack them. But there was commotion, and Dariaza feared one of their number had fallen to the beasts. When she got up there, she saw Glannath, the drow, had healed the human boy Igan. But the human warrior Randal was in bad shape still. Dariaza sighed and pulled her healing potion out and offered it to him. He drank it and the bleeding stopped, though he was still injured.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

Dariaza nodded, and then for the benefit of the nearly blind human, replied, "I welcome brave warriors like you at my side." She realized she was grateful that they would all be leaving together. 

"Do you have anymore potions or healing magic?" asked Glannath.

Dariaza shook her head. "No, that's it. Sorry."

"Don't apologize for giving your last healing potion to another who needed it more desperately." She could see Dariaza had injuries of her own.

"I told yer she was barmy," muttered the dwarf Taklin.

"We should go in case our fight drew attention," remarked Dariaza to no one in particular.

"There's a foulness in the winds," remarked Aramil.

"Really?" responded a sarcastic Taklin. "Do tell."

Then Dariaza saw an icy winged humanoid, much larger than the mephit in Zelatar, and radiating a palpable menace. She quickly drew her wand and said, "Inflammaro." The flying demon dodged the ball and then lunged towards her, an insane laugh chilling them all. Dariaza's next fireball got it, causing it to explode in a hail of ice that they all tried to duck away from.

Moving on, they were led around a patch of deadly brown mold that had begun to grow. Still, the blizzard continued with no sign of the tree. If the winter wolves were guarding a border, it was a border that was also somehow hidden.

Glannath revealed herself as a fighting priestess of Eilistraee, then, by casting a spell to locate the trunk of Yggdrasil.

"I didn't know she was a priestess," said Dariaza, particularly stunned because she was not possessed of the murderous intensity of the priestesses of Lolth. And then Dariaza nearly broke down in tears, cursing her mother and Lolth, as she realized Glannath loved her brother **and was allowed to!** What a different goddess Eilistraee must be from Lolth, who would demand the hearts of anyone a drow got close to on her unhallowed altars.

"She cast a good keen edge spell on my blade," replied Urth Hornraven, a human who had fought bravely against the winter wolves. "And cast it on a couple of others, too." Dariaza realized she liked Urth, and was not offended that he spoke to her without having been spoken to first. "She healed the boy who was at death's door, too. Glad of that, I wouldn't want anyone of us to die in this wretched land. Thanks for helping us, svartalf."

"You're welcome," Dariaza replied bemused.

"I got it!" shouted Glannath. And sure enough, not long after they came to a trunk. 

"Uh, does anyone else feel that?" asked Dagnal, one of the dwarves.

Moments later, Dariaza felt the tremor, too. "Giants!" she hissed.

They hurried onto the tree and Glannath led them along its bark.

A few minutes later, the tree bucked under them. Obviously, the giants had gotten on it. They continued to scramble down the wood to the cavern that led to Windglum and after awhile, the violent vibrations caused by the giants lessened and then stopped.

"What happened?" asked the boy Igan.

Glannath chuckled. "They're heading to Ysgard, where they think we went!"

Others laughed nervously, and all were suddenly glad they had agreed to accompany each other and the strange drow wizard to Windglum.


	9. Chapter 9

IX.

Windglum was an incredible city for Pandemonium, Dariaza decided. Situated in a huge cavern and lit by about a hundred magical light globes, it offered about anything the traveler needed. But the citizens were surly and paranoid, though not particularly violent. The locals were all too glad to let them proceed to the Scaly Dog Inn where "strangers go."

The Scaly Dog Inn was owned by a gnome named Hagus Gimcrack who had somehow been magically banished to the town by an angry prime mage. His thriving business here seemed to help keep his madness at bay, though he would sometimes break out into howls and panting, perhaps the "scaly dog" talking through him. The inn managed to keep the winds down to a tolerable level. _The Scaly Dog Inn was another light in the darkness_, Dariaza decided.

Mystik Spiral seemed unusually popular in this otherwise sullen town. They were made up of Trent and Jesse, both cambions, and two tieflings named Nick and Max. Their music was as inspired as usual, though the elves and dark elves in Dariaza's company seemed horrified at how Trent seemed to warp the magical vazhan-do he used. Or maybe it was the lyrics:

"Down in the Abyss where the retriever spiders roam

Live some demons, you leave them alone

Getting lost there may be your last mistake

Strangers of any kind, unkindly they take

Living off the souls of the damned

Regarding mortals as pleasant tasting lambs

Lay down your wand and surrender quiet

Or there's gonna be a tanar'ri riot

Oh just get ready to pay

Cause they'll riot anyway

"Danger in the Abyss, that waits for you

There's nothing left that you can do

Better watch your back, for the vicious attack

'Cause they'll be looking for you

Playing with your life, for your life is too short

Pain is too good for you

Your last breath, is all you have left

Take it before you're doomed

Abyssal Hell

Abyssal Hell

Before you're doomed

"Straight from hell, and they're ready for fighting

Fighting baatorian devils by shooting out innate lightning

The celestials impart from their holy lore

We all got to be grateful for the never-ending Blood War

If the anarchic evil and tyrannical fiends didn't always kill each other

There wouldn't be enough paladins to stop them from being such a bother

So keep it in mind if you're ever down there

It might be fatal, you better beware."

The barmy locals cheered. But most of Dariaza's companions, barmy as they were, breathed a sigh of relief when they stopped. Trent saw them and came down to meet Dariaza.

"Hey Trent," said Dariaza. 

"Hey, Dariaza," he smiled at her. "Where's Jana?"

"Zelatar," she replied. "We need to go get her." She quickly explained what had happened and introduced her companions.

"Depraves, very bad business. You were lucky to get out alive." He shook his head, adding, "There was probably a ward or mythal that warped any teleporting magics. Probably a lesser wizard would've just seen her spell fizzled. You were still in Azzagrat, but on another layer. Zelatar is weird that way anyway, and it sounds like the club owners set it up so that anyone who got away would be in a grove of viper trees. Can't let survivors get away, or the only victims they'd get would be the clueless."

Glannath shook her head. "Even I didn't know the tanar'ri did such things."

"Only the civilized ones do, since the other ones act like that all the time anyway," said Trent. "And some vampires and werewolves have their own depraves, too."

Glannath shuddered. "I am of mixed feelings to say that I don't know which branch of Yggrasil would take us there."

"No problem," said Trent. "There's a portal to Bedlam right in the building. We'll leave a message at Weylund's Inn in case she stops there on her way to Windglum. Then take a portal to Sigil, and from there to Zelatar." 

"I wish you the best in finding your friend, but we cannot go into the Abyss with you," said Glannath.

"I wouldn't want you, too," replied Dariaza. "I'll savor your company until then, and wish you well as you find your way back home."

Mystik Spiral and the liberated servants made their way to Bedlam shortly after. But to everyone's relief, Jana was inside Weylund's Inn, talking to the dwarven owner, Pockmarked Weylund.

"JANA!" cried Dariaza, running up to hug her friend.

"I can't believe it!" said Jana excitedly. "I heard there were drow killed in the Viper Forest. I was sure you were one of them! I thought you were dead!"

If anyone thought such expressed love between a drow and alu-fiend was weird, they didn't share their opinion. But this WAS Bedlam, the gate town to Pandemonium. If a witness wasn't somewhat barmy, he'd assumed Dariaza and Jana were.

After sharing what happened after she dimension-doored out of The Horn Dog up until getting to Bedlam, Jana whistled. "As one prime blood told me, 'Out here on the planes, we respect knowledge and experience. But that wand of fireballs you've got there doesn't hurt either.' And that about sums it up. You did really well, already a prime blood yourself."

"So what happened to you?"

Jana squirmed a bit, uncomfortable. "The induced, euphoric madness is as short as it is intense. It was over in a few minutes with everyone other than the depravers, and a few like myself that were sucked into the deprave, torn to pieces and devoured. We won't be having any more problems from Steve Taylor, that's for sure. I made it home to recover from the hangover that happens to those of us not full tanar'ri and came here on my way to Windglum to give Trent the bad news." She shook her head sadly for a moment and then brightened. "My cat Taylor has a new name, by the way. They call him Rumbles now, for the weird noise they heard him making while he was eating a wererat that he caught in the dungeon. They think he's something really special." 

Dariaza, recalling the demonic cat, was glad it was still in the Abyss. _Where it belongs._ "So what about the other drow that got away?"

"Yeah, more than one dead drow was found in the forest. It was assumed you all were killed. But since you got away, maybe one or more of them got away, too. If they did, they probably reported you dead."

"And House Griffonka might also be wiped out for some other reason by now anyway."

"Ah, the joys of worshipping arachnids. I honestly don't know how so many dark elves were suckered into doing that."

Glannath interrupted, a chill in her words. "You're with the Spider Queen?"

Dariaza shook her head. "Not anymore."

"That's good," said one of the dwarves. "Even those of us that can tolerate a dark elf won't tolerate one that worships the Spider Queen." 

"Especially us," added Tebryn sternly, though his drowish features softened into a smile when he caught Jana admiring him.

"Those who do follow the Spider Queen want her dead," added Jana, suddenly concerned for her friend. The dark elves of svartalfheim had no mercy for Lolth-worshippers. "So anyone who kills her is doing the will of the Mother of Mandibles." 

"Your heart is not of the Flesh Carver," said Glannath to Dariaza, "that much I saw truly. As you say, you were a 'light in the howling dark of Hell.' Be welcome in the land of light, beneath stars and among trees and flowers, where we dance in joy and beauty."

"You are not drow," added Silaqui, "for drow means traitor. You are Ssri-Tel-Quesir. One of The People. Welcome to the light."

"Hey, Trent," called Jana, "were ya' going?"

"Pockmarked asked us to do a song while we're here. And we were supposed to stop here anyway."

"Cool."

"Is he better outside of Pandemonium?" asked Tebryn.

"Um, he's about as good inside and out," said Dariaza.

Tebryn winced. "I must find facilities outside for awhile." 

"I'll join you," said Glannath. "I mean, I do, too."

Pretty much all the elves and dwarves excused themselves for one reason or another, leaving only the gnome, halfling, and humans lingering.

"That's Pockmarked for you," said Jana to Dariaza. "He likes 'artistes' of all kinds. I say all kinds because that includes Mystik Spiral." 

"But he's a dwarf," said Dariaza, "and it looks like dwarves don't care for that music."

"You're a drow and I'm an alu-fiend. People think we're weird, too." 

"Oh, yeah."

"Remember that he willingly lives in Bedlam. That makes him rather strange for a dwarf right there. And Mystik Spiral got its name because they say the winds of Pandemonium inspire them. The symbol for Pandemonium is a spiral inside a square. If you remember, all the band members are Bleakniks, and the Bleak Cabal is based in Pandemonium, too." 

"Oh," said Dariaza. "I didn't know that." 

Jana shrugged. "They're thinking of changing the name though."

Mystik Spiral was on stage. The magical vazhan-do, perhaps still touched from the winds of Pandemonium itself, made a screeching noise, but stopped. Then Trent said, "Hey. We're Mystik Spiral. This one is for Dariaza and Jana." 

Dariaza glanced at Jana. "I hope it's not Tanar'ri Wet Dream."

"Oh, please," responded Jana, "make it The Spider's Kiss."

And then they began:

"When the evil drow come  
When their death spells hum  
When they come get some  
We'll still be freakin' friends!

"When they whip us with snakes  
When they feed us spiderpaste cakes  
When they torture us for evil's sake  
We'll still be freakin' friends! 

"Freakin' friends! Freakin' friends!  
Till we come to bad ends, we're freakin' friends!  
Freakin' friends! Freakin' friends!  
Till we come to bad ends, we're freakin' friends!   
Freakin' friends! Freakin' friends..."

Jana coughed and said, "Maybe I should go get Tebryn. I'm sure he'd love this one."

"Stay, Jana," commanded Dariaza, "or I will come for you."

"I knew you were still a wicked drow," complained Jana. They smiled at each other, and then glanced at the ceiling. The barmies in Weylund's Inn went wild.


	10. Chapter 10

X. (Epilogue)

After the sonic disaster, the entire party was once again in Weylund's Inn, discussing what they'd do next.

"There's a portal right next to the building to Mahogany," said Jana.

"Trust a city of lunatics to have a portal to the realm of Selune, the moon goddess," said Urth.

"Hey," said Jana, "Do you think the phase of the moon over Mahogany affects the lunatics in Bedlam?"

"That's something for one of those addled guv'nors to look into," replied Siloqui, referring to the group dedicated to mastering the multiverse by divining all its supposed laws and manipulating them.

They went through the portal a little later, but found themselves in a swamp. A fairly pleasant one with only a few insects, not counting the very beautiful glowing sunflies, but still a swamp. Some distant copper-colored swamp birds with steam coming out of their beaks also turned to look at them. There was a flock of masked, serpentine rainbowed women with wings called lillend looking at them from the distance, too. They saw some people living in a giant pumpkin suspended in a large tree not far away, and people at a dock outside of it were already coming toward them in 3 punts.

"Oh, yeah, this is the far outskirts," said Jana. "They'll take us to the drier grounds for a piece of silver per passenger. Or sell us various curiosities they come across out here." She looked up to see a nearly full moon. "Good thing the moon's about full. That means most people will be in a good mood and things will go well. At full moon, the Silver Staircase opens up and there's a portal to everywhere. The Planewalker Guild can lead you right home. Or you can take one of the boats home. Or take the other portals."

As the punts took them to Mahogany, they talked about which way they would prefer to get home, and without the madness that haunted them in the wind blasted caverns of Pandemonium. Dariaza expressed a desire to see many places, and she was assured that they were all her friends who would give her a place to stay when she visited (though she'd have to disguise herself in Nidavellir). There was talk around visiting the realms of Sessrumnir of Freya and other abodes of deities of magic, too. Dariaza realized that for the first time she was truly reborn an elf and a new world beckoned her, one in which it was not only safe but desired to have friends and familiars and to know joy, love, and friendship. While she talked, she reached over and took Trent's hand, who grasped her own.

And then they quieted as a celestial rapidly approached, seemingly from the moon itself, resembling a massively muscular human, but the size of an ogre, with emerald skin that was completely hairless, and white-feathered wings. It was a planetar, a general in the fight against evil fiends, and everyone was suddenly nervous about being in the company of the half-fiends. 

It flew around them all, looked them over carefully, especially lingering on Trent, Jesse, Jana, and Dariaza. Finally, it nodded and welcomed them all, healing them of injuries from their recent battles, and even curing the cook's arthritis. They watched it fly back into the moon until it could be seen no more. After that, they enjoyed the rest of the ride, staring at the natural moonlit beauty around them.

In Mahogany, as they went to get lodging until the full moon, Dariaza told Jana, "Thanks for telling me about the gods of magic and Eilistraee and all. When I lost all hope in the tunnels of Pandemonium, I called on them. It helped me. I don't know if meeting a priestess afterwards was coincidence or not, but I knew that while everything I had been taught in my life is a lie, I could trust you. So thanks for being true. You were the light in my darkest hour."

"Don't sweat it, berk," replied Jana. "You got passed by a planetar! We all did! My family would freak!" She laughed a little and added, "Probably best if they don't know about that."

"I expect my matron mother wouldn't be pleased, either," added Dariaza with a distracted tone.

Jana, still smiling, added, "Maybe I'll stay for awhile. We can go back to Sigil to get a few things, including my chaos cat, and then set up shop either here in Mahogany or in Svartalfheim. Mahogany is famed for its tolerance to those not here to cause trouble, and the dark elves of Svartalfheim sympathize with those persecuted for bad reputations that individuals don't deserve. What do you think?"

Dariaza shrugged, but was still a little too emotional to speak. For she had felt the planetar gaze upon her very soul and when it nodded to her there was a sentiment imparted to her that would be best summed up as _Welcome Home._

END

_La, la, la, la..._

A quick note on the songs: The song sung in The Horn Dog (a name I got from the map of Carter County found in The Daria Database, btw) is "Megalomaniac" by KMFDM as it's actually sung. The song sung by Trent in Pandemonium is a very twisted version of "Cajun Hell" by Exodus. The song Trent sings later on is based on "Freakin Friends," which was first sung in Is It Fall Yet? (by Trent himself).

Much of the settings, creatures, spells, and the like were drawn from either D&D (especially Planescape) or Daria. About the only thing I invented for this was the "depravers." But it occurred to me afterward that the vampires in the first Blade movie did something similar. At the time I was just trying to think of what clubbing in the Abyss would be like and came up with "depraves" and the entire club scene that takes up a good portion of Chapter 5. In any case, I make no claim to it, should anyone want to use the concept or term in a game or whatever. (Frankly, I'd be surprised if it hasn't been thought of before.) 


End file.
